Zootopia: The Rabbit, the Fox, and the Wild
by YACOV
Summary: When a friend helps you achieve something you never thought you could on your own, you feel love for them; loyalty, commitment, affection and devotion too. When that friend is Judy Hopps, and what she wants for you is not the same as what you want for yourself, how do you realize your own dreams? Friendship is wonderful, but only when there is mutual respect.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello and welcome to the second of my Zootopian stories. I hope that those who read these new stories find my take on the world of Zootopia to be both entertaining and enlightening and I welcome any insight or criticism regarding the layout of these stories._

 _If this is the first time you have read one of my Zootopian stories I recommend that you go to my first story_ ("Zootopia: Shake-Up") _to read the introductory explanation for the rules I established in this world. This will address many fan disputes about the viability of a world of anthropomorphic predator and prey mammals. Additionally, the first chapter of Shake-Up explains how I resolve a few of the many issues from the movie that fans have complained about or cited as leading to economic, environment, or social disaster. Finally, some of the attitudes that are expressed in that story may help you understand the feelings that are shown among the characters in the current story._

 _The events in this tale take place nearly a year after_ "Shake-Up" _and deal with many of the sentiments and behaviors that began to surface as a result of the events in that earlier story. By this point, Judy has been an officer for about two years, Nick has been in it about a year, and while much of their relationship is still the same, a number of unaddressed thoughts and feelings are surfacing and subtly affecting their interaction. Both of the main characters remain partners and friends but, as stories generally demand, changes are in store._

 _I think this time I will skip some of my written analysis and invite you the reader to draw your own conclusions. Share them if you are so inclined._

 _Now then, let us dive into the story._

* * *

In the light of early morning a Zootopian Police Department cruiser wound its way through Savanna Central only a few blocks from Precinct One. In the driver's seat was a grey, European rabbit in a blue, form-fitting shirt with a Kevlar stab-vest, sporting a happy grin as she surveyed her surroundings with her sharp eyes and long ears.

Next to her in the passenger seat sat a red fox wearing a well-fitted ZPD uniform and a flashy pair of aviator sunglasses. He surveyed their surroundings with a seemingly casual, but very knowing and piercing gaze. This fox, the rabbit's partner, was a native of these streets. He knew many of the animals that walked them and he was a whiz at picking up on anything suspicious. He had a more reserved smile on his muzzle.

Judy Hopps stole a moment from her vigilant observations and glanced over at Nick Wilde, who was keeping his eyes peeled and out the window looking for anything that may require their intervention. She swallowed and then asked.

"Hey Nick, you had a date scheduled for tonight didn't you?"

"Yeah, why? Were you hoping to carry on our little contest before I had to go?" he responded without turning.

"I guess I could let you off the hook for now. You look like you could use a bit of my mercy." She teased with a smirk.

Judy liked keeping in shape, physically and mentally, and though Nick was more inclined to take it easy when not on duty, his partner would challenge him to contests that he ended up participating in. Judy was a clever bunny in many ways, but in that way especially. Sometimes these contests were to solve intellectual puzzles like math and word problems, sometimes it became a contest to see who could do the most pushups or situps, and sometimes other things. They were often neck-and-neck, so it pushed them both without discouraging growth or improvement in either of them. Judy would win once or twice, then Nick would win once or twice, and so on. She had even started taking some online classes with him through the University of Zootopia. Nick had started those classes while at the Academy and only a couple of months previously had completed the required coursework for being made a full-fledged police officer and ending his probationary status. He kind of liked what he learned and was now trying to get enough credits to have a Bachelor's; she wanted to do the same.

All of these shared activities kept their friendship exciting. However this was not what she wanted to discuss.

"Actually I just got a date for tonight too and I was curious if maybe you wanted to make it a double-date?"

Nick raised an eyebrow and looked her way a moment before turning his eyes towards the front window. "Seems a bit sudden to be asking for a full double-date Carrots. Are you nervous? Who set you up on this date?"

"I did."

Nick did a double take.

"Really? You seemed pretty dead-set against going out with anyone for a while after that date with... what's his name... I want to say Garth..."

"Garreth Sprouts." She grimaced. "Yeah that was a mistake, but this guy I have a much better feel for. Anyway, I was thinking of going to Pangea. Something nice without being too fancy or ostentatious. What do you think?"

"What do I think about the choice of venue or what do I think about a double-date?"

"Both."

"Restaurant choice is good, and a double date shouldn't be a problem. I'm picking the venue for my own rendezvous and I think company with a good friend on her own date would be acceptable. But are you sure you want me there with my own companion? I wouldn't want to cramp your style." He gave a wry grin.

"No I'd really like having you there."

"Is this guy a predator? Does he need to be made welcome?"

"No, why?"

"I thought if he were a predator, then I make a good talking point about being your partner and a predator too. 'Figured if he's prey maybe you want me there as a last resort for scaring him off."

Judy looked at him askance. The thought that Nick would come across as threatening never even entered her mind when she first thought of it, and she did not agree with the idea now.

"I am a little trepidatious after what happened with Garreth, but I'm not asking you there as a silent threat. I just want to have someone I know and feel comfortable with around as well. My date's a nice guy, and I'm sure you won't come across as off-putting for him; he interfaces with lots of animals at City Hall."

Nick shook his head and grinned. "One of these days I need to set you up with some guy who has nothing to do with civic duty."

"Not interested. I wonder if any of the meters for these cars are past due... anyway, if this is too much to be asking I..."

"Carrots, it's fine. I'm your friend, and I'll help you with this if that's what you need. However now I feel compelled by your reticence to set you up with someone from another circle. Hey, did I hear a meter expire?"

Judy on reflex looked over the dash and surveyed the meters with her eyes and ears, only to find that every meter was still green. She looked at Nick sideways with a wry grin and an upturned eyebrow. Nick tilted his head towards her with a 'you know you love me' expression. Judy turned back to her driving.

"Okay, so I was thinking about 18:30." She continued.

"You know you don't have to use military time with me, I can guess what 6:30 is in this context."

"What's wrong with a 24-hour clock? It prevents confusion about morning or evening hours."

Nick sighed. "Well, we're going to dinner and it's not on the Nocturnal District schedule, so I'm thinking that would be an eve..."

Suddenly the radio sprung to life with a loud hiss of static, followed by what sounded like a garbled form of Benjamin Clawhauser's voice.

 _Central units... Central units... robbery reported at..._

As the report continued coming in, Judy nodded to Nick, who in turn, popped the siren. Judy put pedal to the metal and their cruiser went screeching around the bend and up the street in the direction of the incident as Clawhauser's report continued feeding through.

* * *

 _*** Pangea, 18:28 ***_

Judy had arrived, as per her usual, fashionably early. She had scoped out a table and now sat waiting for her other three dinner attendees to arrive, though off-paw she could only recognize two if they were to come in. She had been scanning the room for nearly fifteen minutes and had ordered a water that she sipped almost compulsively. She heard a chair next to her slide out and some animal making to sit down. Judy turned her head as she began admonishing the interloper.

"Um, sorry these seats are saved for... Nick!"

Somehow he had gotten in the restaurant and to the table undetected. He slid into the chair and scooted into the table.

"Hey Carrots. Don't mind if I sit here do you?"

"How did you get here? I've been waiting nearly fifteen minutes and watching the door the whole time. I never saw you."

"Yeah I saw you from outside the entrance as I was coming in, but that hippo couple walked in front of me and blocked the view before you looked my way. So I figured I'd keep using them as camouflage and sneak up on you."

Judy gave him a wan smile and took a moment to appraise him as he sat down.

"Well, I must say you clean up nice." She remarked. The dark green button-down that he wore with khaki slacks set off his fur in a way that made him look quite dashing. She was not one to look at Nick in this sort of way, but she could not deny that he came off very attractive. His hooded eyes certainly gave him a mystique that added to the appeal. She shook herself when she grew concerned she had been staring and admiring him too long.

The libido could do weird things among friends.

"When a fox has to impress he can make a good show. Lookin' good yourself Carrots." Judy had opted for a somewhat modest, black skirt with a white short-sleeved blouse. Her attire made her look just as ready to go outside and enjoy the summer evening as have dinner. Nick spent a long moment admiring her and had to admit she cut a very fine figure. Her amethyst irises and grey fur, with the white blouse and black skirt hugging her closely and accentuating her slender body shape... he wouldn't have chanced saying 'sexy' to her face, but he could be honest enough with himself to admit he was thinking it.

"If this is how you come to dinner maybe I should ask you out myself one of these days." He teased.

She countered with a smirk and a quip of her own. "After seeing you eat those Grasshopper Grubbers from a street vendor at lunch, I was thinking of letting you skip out of the 'double' part of this date. You have to work on your eating habits slick."

Nick grinned but realized he may have touched on a forbidden topic. Friends going out in the company of multiple friends was fine. Two friends - and partners to boot - going out alone together was treading some dangerous ground. He decided to change the subject.

"So, what suave, handsome ball of fuzz is coming to dinner with you? We never got a chance to finish that conversation in the cruiser."

"Just because I have soft fur doesn't mean I go for guys who have fluff too... and my date's name is Dan, he's a pika."

"Ah, going for the _extra_ soft and fuzzy I see."

She gave him the stink eye with a smirk before elaborating.

"I met him at the function we got invited to last week at City Hall. He works with the Planning Department and he's really quite nice. We talked about his work and I told him about the sections in Savanna Central on the border with Little Rodentia that I felt needed upkeep and attention. He seemed interested."

"Uh... Carrots. You are aware there was an open bar at that function, right? As in, we could drink decent alcohol for free?"

"You know I never developed a tolerance for drinking. And anyway, what's wrong with a conversation about something you find interesting?"

"Nothing, I just think when you talk to City Hall animals who are off their working hours, that's the time to ask questions that wouldn't necessarily be appropriate at a press conference."

"Oh, is that what you were doing to that young mink from Public Affairs? Digging for dirt?"

"Just casual conversation about something other than what she does at work. She started with some gossip about the Comptroller and one of the City Council members that I wasn't really paying much attention to, then spent the rest of our chat talking about her after-work hours at the Mystic Springs Oasis."

"She's a naturalist?"

"Said she really loves the vibe there after a full day of jostling with too many 'tight-wads' as she put it. That it was nice to just let her ears droop and not have to keep things hidden... I guess that means more than just feelings and government secrets."

Judy winced. "Ugh, I still cannot get why any animal would willfully walk around naked in full view of a bunch of strangers."

"Well they're only strangers the first time you go. After that I would think they know you better than most of the other animals you see day to day. At work or on the street."

"Ugh..." she shuddered. "Call me a prude if you want, you have before, but I just do not get that lifestyle."

"It's not a bad one after you've given it a go."

"After you've... Nick, did you _go_?"

"After the function? No, it was late... I had my wild years before I was a cop."

"With the naturalists?"

"Say what you will about their lifestyle choices, they are some of the warmest and friendliest animals you will ever meet in Zootopia. That guy Yax, I knew him back when he was only half so shaggy and only half so spaced out. He's pretty cool once you get passed the flies and learn how to keep some of his attention and interpret a bit of what he says."

"So you went into that place... naked?"

"Carrots why this aversion to being naked? We're born naked, we bathe naked, for a minute or two after bathing and before putting on our uniforms in the morning we're naked... unless bunnies have some other kinds of birthing and cleaning rituals that I'm unaware of... What's so bad about dressing down to your own natural coat when you're around those that don't feel uncomfortable with it?"

"I don't know, I... when I was growing up I always felt so proud of how animals evolved to be civilized that I always thought things from the pre-civilized time were out of touch, taboo and something to be glad we got rid of... nudity for one, predation for another."

Nick bristled. He did not like it when this topic came up, it brought up a lot of bad memories from childhood and the fallout around Zootopia during the Missing Mammals Case. Still, one could not argue with history. In the pre-civilized era, Judy would have had every reason to fear him: he would have been the predator, and she his prey. He gave a conciliatory nod and she continued.

"Nudity has always been something from a bygone era to me. In Bunnyburrow only the youngest rabbit kittens I knew could get away with being naked. The moment a bunny gets weaned, it wears clothes."  
Nick smirked. "So you never had any... phases of shedding, or primal curiosities?"

"NO!... No, and when I learned about clothing statutes it became one the things I made sure to enforce around the burrow."

He cocked an eyebrow. "You patrolled your own home for anyone who was violating the dress code?"

"I was a kit, and I was committed to my ideas... maybe I was a little overboard in my execution of the rules, but I had my passion and my drive and it's what makes me what I am."

"A prude?" He smirked when Judy grimaced. "Relax Carrots, I poke fun because I love ya', gymnophobia and all."

She smiled after hearing him say that.

"Nice save Wilde, and good word use there. It takes a rare kind of friend to say 'love' and 'gymnophobia' in the same breath. Though for your information I'm not gymnophobic, just modest. Now, to change the subject, who is your date? Is it that mink girl who enjoys letting it all out after work?"

Nick chuckled. "And the bunny girl, not-so-subtly, keeps the nudity topic afloat. No, an old friend of my mom set me up on a date with her niece. Name is Heather, she works in a health spa downtown."

"Anything that would make her easy for me to spot? Actually did you even meet her before accepting or is this a blind date?" Judy felt a bit thirsty and decided to have a sip from her glass.

"I didn't meet her before accepting, but I went by the spa to meet her yesterday. Nice girl, kinda has the grungy, alternative lifestyle thing going, and I think she's closer to your age than mine. Oh, and she's a Tibetan fox, so don't be surprised if her face looks a little... square."

The chuckle came mid sip before Judy could do anything to staunch it. She covered her lips as water began to spill.

"(cough)... Nick," she chuckled and coughed again. "Not (cough), not when I'm drinking. I could have shot it through my nose."

Despite the discomfort she continued giggling but then her smile fell away and her expression turned pensive.

"Something on your mind?" Nick asked when he noticed her change in expression.

The smile returned again and Judy put her head against her paw as she looked at him.

"How is this for a double date? A fox and a rabbit are dating a Tibetan fox and pika. Two sets of nature's once-enemies having a friendly meal together." She chuckled again.

Nick grinned, but it was a rather forced grin. He knew Judy meant no harm by what she said, and the irony from her perspective was not lost on him... but the implicit assumption about predators in Judy's statements irked him a bit. When other animals said these things Nick took little notice or at least wasn't bothered by it so much; with Judy... Nick didn't like to admit it to himself, but even after nearly two years, he couldn't claim to have completely forgotten Judy's actions at the press conference about the Missing Mammals Case. Despite her apology, and despite hugging it out, this was still a tender area for him. Though he saw a great deal of hard-earned maturity in her, these little gaffes reminded him that she still had some growing up to do, and her perspective of him was not quite what he would have liked. He knew she cared for him and trusted him, but care and trust did not equate to her respecting him.

"By the way, hell of a bust today, huh?" She commented.

"Yeah, that impala could really move." Nick affirmed.

"You had some good reflexes, giving me a boost to jump on his shoulders and then tripping him up... plus cuffing him and reading him his rights while I kept my weight on him; you did really well."

Nick nodded and looked down. "Thanks, you too."

Her compliments were not unwelcome, and he did not feel that she was patronizing his skills as far as subduing a suspect, but she omitted the fact that all the credit for the arrest had gone to her. Hardly any of the other officers had acknowledged Nick's contributions or given him praise for his work. They all talked about Judy's dive-tackle and ignored the fact that him giving her a boost got her in a position to make that tackle. Chief Bogo himself had only acknowledged Judy when he saw them both bringing the perp back to the station. While Nick knew a certain level of humility was necessary as an officer, particularly a rookie like himself, it still irked him that he was not acknowledged for his part in all of this.

"Hello Nick," came a dulcet voice, and Nick's ears perked up. Turning away from Judy he was greeted by a grey and red Tibetan fox with multiple studs in her ears and an adorable smile. She wore a light, loose-fitting dress that had a style almost like a sari. It made her look exotic and quite lovely.

For some reason she couldn't explain, Judy felt herself stiffen ever so slightly to see such a lovely companion coming to dinner with Nick.

Nick hastily stood up and was greeted with a gleeful hug from his date.

"Glad to see you," she continued. "And great choice for dinner, I love this place."

"You should thank Judy, this place was her idea." Nick said, gesturing to his partner at the table.

Upon seeing Judy, Heather's eyes brightened and her grin grew wider still.

"Judy Hopps! Oh wow, it's great to meet you. I asked Nick to tell me about you yesterday and he hardly said anything, only that I should wait to meet you myself. I'm so glad I get to meet you so soon after asking." She extended her paw and Judy took the offered paw in her own.

"It's great meeting you too Heather, though I actually only learned about you just two minutes ago."

"Uh, Heather," Nick interjected, pulling out his chair. "Why don't you sit here next to Judy."

"Sure," Heather seated herself. "Now we'll get a chance to learn all about one another."

"All I heard from Nick before you arrived is that you work in a health spa downtown."

"Yes, I lead meditation sessions and assist with yoga for beginning practitioners. We just had a new girl come on that I'm responsible for. She's a hippo and still working on her self confidence, but so dedicated to trying, and so cute in how she... oh, sorry Judy I didn't mean to be insensitive."

For a moment Judy had stiffened slightly, but the genuine nature of Heather's behavior brought her down and got her to relax. Besides, she was talking about a hippo, not a bunny. It was not Judy's place to feel offended.

"No sweat Heather. Nick uses that word on me all the time." She gave Nick a pointed, though teasing, glare.

"Even so I'm sorry. I'm usually more careful with that word; the head yoga instructor is a cotton tail after all." Heather continued.

Before the conversation could continue, the chair nearest Judy that was not occupied by Heather was pulled out and all three table occupants turned to see a small, fluffy pika in a suit.

"Dan, you made it," Judy smiled and looked at her watch. "Right on time too."

"Hmm, by that measure I'm late. Sorry about that Judy."

"No trouble," she patted his shoulder. "Oh, these are my friends, or one friend and one with whom I hope to be fast friends." Heather giggled, relieved to know that Judy meant to carry no further tension regarding the use of the bunny-sensitive term from earlier.

"Hi, I'm Nick." Nick said as he extended his paw. There was the most minute jerk in Dan"s posture to see a paw with claws coming his way, but he immediately extended his own paw to grasp Nick's.

"Dan," he replied. "So you're the infamous Officer Wilde who works with Judy. She mentioned you at the party last week but I never caught sight of you."

"Oh, sorry I was... unavoidably detained."

Dan gave a mild chuckle as he seated himself. "I know about that." From across the table, Heather extend her paw slowly, almost languidly, forward.

"I'm Heather."

Dan took her paw tenderly and gave a nod with a gracious smile. "Dan," he intoned. "Most charmed."

Nick took his seat across from Judy and between Heather and Dan. Everyone settled in and made introductions and within a few minutes one of the wait staff sauntered over to bring menus and ask if any of them wanted drinks. The meal went well after that. The two predators ordered some Beet-Beetle salads and shared a small helping of mashed salmon with crackers. The herbivores went for some light salads and stir-fried vegetables. Judy was used to eating fresh vegetables from so many years on a farm; now as a denizen of Zootopia she liked to go for sautéed vegetables whenever possible. Both the exotic flavors and the fact that she was not always sure about the hygiene of the food convinced her that cities were not the place to put trust in the word 'fresh'. Dan seemed fairly picky himself, so it suited her purposes.

Heather preferred to eat lightly, and while Nick was craving heartier food and larger portions, he decided to indulge her way of eating if only to see what he thought of it.

Conversation was easy going, with Heather often waxing poetically about the interconnectedness of all things. Judy kind of liked it, and Dan and Nick understood the practical aspects of that interconnection; it was how Dan had to approach his work with all the different animals in the city, and how Nick had to approach his work back when he pulled cons. When Judy got talking about a few more immediate and practical issues Dan perked right up and Nick followed along well, though Heather seemed mentally distant from the politics and organizational aspects that peppered Judy's conversation. Still she followed along politely and asked questions now and then.

After the bill came, Nick and Dan both fought for it, until Judy took it and paid it all herself. Nick and Dan agreed to buy her a piece of carrot cake and everyone sat together for another hour to enjoy the conversation. After a while, Nick and Heather decided to head out for some alone time, while Judy and Dan opted to stay at the restaurant and talk some more. Judy would have preferred a walk, but Dan seemed disinterested, so she decided not to abandon him or cause a holdup for Nick and Heather.

* * *

"They seem nice," Dan said after Nick and Heather walked out and bid him and Judy a good night. "And you said you hadn't met Heather until just now?"

"No," Judy replied, "Nick got set up with her through his mom and her aunt."

"Probably an attempt at match-making. I've seen a lot of my predator colleagues go through that. They spend all of their time at work trying to advance in their jobs and get things done and have almost no social life, so their parents take care of arranging life-partners."

"I'm sure it was just a date. Neither of them really strike me as the settling down type. Too dynamic and not really that domestic."

"I'll bet anything their respective parental-overseers were thinking of eventual marriage when they set this up."

The thought of Nick and Heather being married had an interesting though unrealistic charming quality in Judy's mind. Nick was a fairly grounded fox, if sometimes a bit cynical. Heather by contrast was very airy, light-hearted, free-spirited and free-thinking. Maybe such a match would be good for them. Nick would keep them on earth, Heather would take them places. The thought of them being married though... Judy had a hard time picturing it, though she found it an interesting idea.

"Well, I feel like going for a walk," she said at last. "Where would like to go? The park or some other part of town?"

"A walk?" Dan asked as if it were an almost unnatural thing to be doing.

"Yeah. I've never really been down by the southern piers except for work. Do you want to go there and just walk around feeling the sea breeze?"

"I tend to avoid the coast - the salt gets into my clothes and up my nose and it irritates me for days on end."

"Oh," Judy felt somewhat deflated. Nick could sometimes be a bit of buzzkill for her ideas, but he usually liked to let her have the adventure and then see the problem for herself. A little salt spray hardly seemed a reasonable deterrent to trying something new. Still, she was on a date and she felt it was only proper that she should try to think of Dan's preferences as well as her own.

"Well, maybe we could head to the Rainforest," she offered. "I heard there will be Perseid meteors visible, and the canopy is a great place to see them."

"You mean on the gondola's."

"Yeah, how'bout it?"

At this moment Judy was ready to hop up, open the door, and leave skipping. Dan pulled an uncomfortable face.

"The humidity up there seems dreadful. And up in the canopy, that's where the trees respire. It's so thick I think one could actually swim in the air up there."

"That's part of the fun." Judy insisted.

"How about somewhere indoors. It's dark out and I'd rather not be out at this time of night. Wouldn't want to run afoul of some hoodlums and have my wallet nicked."

"Well," this brought Judy up short. She understood why Dan was leaning more towards an indoor activity. Rabbits and other small animals like herself usually preferred being indoors where they were usually safer from larger animals in Zootopia. Indoors, even if the larger animals could fit, their motions were calmer, more relaxed, and easier to avoid. Her parents had visited her in the city a few times and almost always preferred staying indoors where they were less likely to get stepped on or encounter some wild motion that required quick dodging.

Judy of course had a very different mindset and wanted to be out and wandering free, but Dan was not comfortable with that, so she needed to find something that would keep them both comfortable.

"Did you have anywhere in mind?"

"My place isn't far. I have some fine wine and a great entertainment system for anything we might want: movies, music, you name it."

"Okay," Judy said as she picked up her bag and coat.

The walk to Dan's place was quite short, but this had not really been among the places Judy thought she might end up. Still, she made use of their time together to talk more about civic matters. Dan seemed a little more inclined to get a bit close and tender, but Judy was not really feeling amorous, and Dan seemed to catch the vibe soon enough and settled on just conversation. The two of them continued their discussions for a couple of hours over some good wine and with some pleasing jazz music in the background; Dan _did_ have a nice entertainment system after all. After a few hours of this Judy decided to go home. Dan insisted he not let her go home at such an hour when she could be going through dangerous territory with seedy animals out, but when she flashed the word _cop_ , he acceded to her decision.

Later, after a taxi ride through the seeder streets, Judy got into her apartment and felt a little saddened that things with Dan did not really work out as well as she had hoped. When he had been showing interest she found herself totally lacking interest. When she had first set up this date she actually had felt interest in a more physical relationship given how easily they could talk about her other interests. That lack of spirit to go for a walk and see something new, and his total aversion of the other Zootopian environments... kind of a mood-killer.

* * *

After nearly three hours out with Heather, Nick had been considerably worn down and was craving a soft surface to lie down on and not be bothered. It was past 22:00 hours...

 _Did I just think in military time? Damn, Carrots you're in my head again._ Nick thought to himself. Judy's way of seeing things often rubbed off on him.

His evening after leaving Judy at the restaurant had been a rather active one. He had gone through the park and to a yoga studio. He had been on his hands more in the last few hours than he had been since training at the Academy. It had worked some muscles he was not used to working and had left him rather worn out and tired. Right now he just wanted to plop on a couch and veg for a while until strength returned to his limbs. Being as out of it as he was, he had not realized that he had been walking with Heather to her own apartment.

"So this is me," Heather said as they got to an ornately decorated door of a rather nondescript apartment building. "How do you feel after all of that?" she asked as she turned back to him.

Of all the things Nick could have said, he settled with "Stiff," and winced as he said it. "The four-walk in the park was fine, but I don't think I stretched enough after that yoga class."

She put her paw against his arm to feel for the tension in his muscles; it was palpable. "Well then, maybe you'd like to come in for a bit and relax. I have somethings that could help."

Before Nick could say anything, she had opened her door and inclined her head to its interior to indicate that she was hoping he would come in. Seeing such a welcoming invitation, Nick felt happy to accept.

"Sure."

He came in and found a small, but cozy place. There was lingering smell that was a mixture of exotic spices, herbs... and possibly residual scents of something not-unlike marijuana. Nick was in no interest to pursue that thought, so he just came in and allowed his hostess to close the door behind him.

"Sit here, I'll be right back." She said and motioned to one of the several cushions she had on the floor. The place was surprisingly open since it lacked a couch, table, or even chairs. Heather clearly preferred cross-legged sitting in her own home. Nick plopped on a small cushion and let his tail extend behind. He was not long in waiting for his hostess to come back into the room with a small plate and a few little sticks. Nick instantly recognized the paraphernalia as incense sticks and a burner. After the smells at the yoga studio she had taken him to he was not entirely sure he wanted to be around additional smells that would get into his coat. Before he could speak, Heather had struck a match and lit two of the sticks. She then sat on her own cushion and faced him.

"Just breathe. The incense awakens the body, the mind is allowed to feel what it will. Close your eyes and breathe."

She demonstrated, and Nick decided that it was best to simply obey. The scent tingled in his nose and seemed to make the pumping of blood in his face feel stronger. His breathing felt easier and he started to feel a slight euphoria from all the air. After a few minutes, he heard her speak.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm feeling body awake and mind sleepy. Like I just had some really strong coffee but without feeling like my heart's trying to jump out my throat. Is that normal?"

"Animals feel all manner of things when they breathe the scent. For me I feel my legs twitching and my tail feels restless, but my mind feels easy. Here put your paws on my brow."

Before Nick could say anything she had taken his paws in her hand and placed them on her brow. Nick started to trace her brow with his hands. Despite his instinct for vigilance, he actually chose to keep his eyes closed and just feel his other senses.

"Feel the energy shared between us. There's a tingling whenever and wherever we touch."

As if to make her point, Heather reached put and placed her paws on Nick's forearms. His arms began to feel heavy, though he could just make out a faint sensation that was rather stirring.

Heather withdrew and took his paws from her brow.

"Nick, open your eyes, I want to talk with you."

He obeyed, though he found his movement sluggish - he felt it must look similar to Heather's movements. Maybe the constant high from exercise and meditation was the cause of this.

"What do you think of this time we've spent together?"

That caught him by surprise. He was used to working with animals that kept their tensions at the surface, but their thoughts only manifested in physical posturing and tone of voice, never as an explicit statement or question. He was so disarmed by her honest approach he had no time to dissemble.

"I enjoy it, though I'm not sure I'm entirely into this way you have of doing things. The earthy-spirity... no offense meant, it's just not something I'm used to."

"I understand," she nodded. "Truthfully, I don't think you and I are a match in the way your mom and my aunt probably intended."

With a rueful smile Nick nodded. "Probably not."

"Still, I really enjoy spending time with you. I thought you would be sardonic and selfish, and I do get a lingering sense that you could be that easily, but it isn't at the fore of who you are."

"Uh... thanks."

"What I mean is. You're more than what I anticipated. And I'm glad to have been proven wrong."

"Well... then I guess: glad I could disappoint."

She giggled and leaned forward to introduce his lips to her own. Her kissing was much like her other motions: intentional, languid, relaxed. It lasted only a few seconds and then she drew away as easily as she came in.

"Uh Heather I... I thought you said you didn't think we were... a match."

"That doesn't mean I don't think we can have some fun... unless I'm making you uncomfortable."

Nick was not sure what he felt. The masculine, animalistic side of himself was very excited to be in the apartment of an attractive young vixen who was clearly showing him a very forward and willing sexual energy. The rational side, the part that had kept him alive for much of the last twenty years, was flashing all kinds of warnings to not let that animalistic instinct get the best of him and remain vigilant. His training as a cop favored that latter position as well.

"I'm not _un_ comfortable, I just... if you and I are both thinking that we're not a match then what exactly..."

"Wait here, I'll be right back. Try to keep your eyes closed and breathe in the air until I come back." She got up from her seat, went to the bathroom and closed the door. Nick was itching to know what was going on, but he indulged her wishes and closed his eyes while he breathed in the incense. This was an interesting, if odd, experience and he actually felt like exploring it further.

A minute or so later the door opened and Nick thought he smelled moisture in the air. The sound of dripping water coming from the bathroom convinced him he was right.

He sensed Heather approach him and then heard her speak.

"I feel like a bath, how about you?"

That got Nick's brain to wake up even further. The fact that she had excused herself hinted that she might come back to make an invitation like this, but Nick still felt surprised to hear it. "Well I do feel a little tender after all the stretching, but a bath might... be..."

Nick opened his eyes and was looking at Heather, stark naked. Her body was sinewy and quite attractive, so much so that Nick's voice trailed off as he took more time to look her up and down. She smiled a calm, enticing smile and extended a paw to him. He felt a bit dizzy, but took her paw and stood. He then followed her, at her languid, seductive pace into the bathroom, fighting to keep his eyes up and away from her tail as it did a seductive sashay.

"Uh Heather I... I just don't want you to think..."

"That I could seduce you into thinking we could be more... compatible?" She finished. He kind of bobbed his head side to side to suggest that that was sort of what he was thinking. As he did this he got a full view of the bathroom and saw multiple candles and a few flower petals in the tub. He made an audible gulp that made her giggle.

"I'm not overlooking the incompatibility, and I don't want to try to make either of us feel things we don't feel naturally. But I enjoy being with you... and I like sex. If you don't feel like it then we don't have to, but if you're okay with this just being what it is, why not indulge a little?"

Heather walked up and got right underneath his nose where she could unbutton his shirt. She drew a husky breath and sighed as it came off and she saw his lean, muscled chest. He took the liberty of removing his own pants. Only for a moment before slipping into the warm water of the tub did Nick consider that he had to go to work early the next morning; Saturday though it was. All thought, however was soon lost to him as his beautiful companion pulled him into the tub and began scrubbing him sensuously.

* * *

 _To anyone disappointed about the lack of descriptive sex, I said in my first story that I would never describe explicit acts of mating, and I am going to stick with that promise. So I will leave you with essentially an old Hollywood-style love scene where the camera pans away and you are left to imagine what things must be like for the players._

 _Judy's night was a little less exciting, but when thinking of a Leslie Knoppe-esque character I pictured she would have a few evenings like this._

 _I hope you have enjoyed this first chapter. Please read and review, and I will keep more coming._


	2. Chapter 2

_Now a little something for everyone's weekend reading pleasure: the morning after._

 _For Judy, this begins in her home after a 'not-so-bad' evening with Dan that fizzled out when he proved too neurotic to be willing to do much of anything.  
For Nick, the morning begins somewhere other than where he normally sleeps._

* * *

Judy woke up in her bed feeling well-rested and eager to get out and do her job. Her alarm had gone off at just the right time and she had responded promptly as usual. She hit the off button on the noise-making clock and got to the business of brushing down her fur before dressing. She had washed her fur the night before prior to going out, and since she had not been out anywhere that would have added dirt to her coat she could afford to skip a full, time-consuming, rinse and drying cycle and just use a hygienic brush to take care of the parts of her anatomy that needed the extra attention. She rather wished that she had been done some more exciting last night, that rinse-dry cycle would have been worth it for some fun memories.

After taking care of these necessities, Judy got suited up in her uniform, polished her badge and took a moment to check herself out in the mirror and make sure she cut just the right figure for an officer of the ZPD. Once satisfied, she headed out the door and made her way towards the subway.

* * *

Nick felt a nudge and shooed it away. "Five more minutes." He said out of habit.

A mild throat clearing and Nick cracked one eye to see who was there. He saw a beautiful Tibetan fox wearing a very sheer piece of cloth that barely covered a very attractive naked form.

"Heather..." Nick asked in mild wonder. Seeing such a vision of loveliness did not seem to be entirely real to Nick in his scarcely awakened mind.

Another half second and Nick all but hopped from his position on a bed that he now recognized was not his own. As the events of the previous evening began to come back to him, Nick remembered where he was and why he was there.

"Sorry for not getting you up a little earlier. We were up pretty late, and I liked watching you sleep," she said casually. "But it's 6:15 and you said you have to be at the precinct before 7:30, so let's get you up and at 'em."

A quick calculation in his addled though sluggish head and Nick realized he was down to the wire.

"Damn I... I'll be late if I don't go... _now!_ " He got out of bed and started collecting his things from the floor.

"Here, a quick sip of something," she offered him a warm cup of some dark liquid. It had a bitter smell, but it did not look like coffee. Nick looked up at her after looking into the mug and she shrugged her shoulders. "Better have this keeping you awake than adrenaline." She said.

He shrugged in return and drank deeply. It was bitter, and there was nothing particularly sweet to cut the taste. He choked it down and smacked his lips lightly. The aftertaste was better than coffee, he would give credit for that.

"Trust me," she replied seeing his slight distaste. "It'll help. Now come on, you should get going."

He continued retracing his steps in order to collect his clothes from the various places he had tossed them last night. It had been a while since Nick had to do the walk of shame, and he remembered now why he generally did his best to avoid it. Not because of the stares that he would get, but due to the disorder in his day that would follow from getting off on the wrong paw.

Before leaving however, he thought he should try to say something to Heather. What to say? M _ight as well open my mouth and just things happen_. He thought.

"Heather I..."

She cut him off with a quick kiss and continued pushing him towards the door as she filled in all the things she thought needed to be shared before parting for he day.

" _I_ had a great time last night... and given your responses I trust it was a good time for you too... and now you have to go to work: so hustle and I'll see you and talk to you again later, bye." And she shooed him out the door and closed it behind him. Nick stood there a moment in surprise at how easy this egression had been and then took off running for the nearest subway station that would take him back to his apartment.

* * *

Ben Clawhauser was still feeling a little winded after his run. Despite several months of training he still came back to his work feeling a bit worn down by his workouts. Still, he was seeing steady progression to better and better fitness. Ben walked out into the atrium of Precinct One from the locker rooms near the gym and came down the stairs to the front desk to relieve Officer Gnuton. The large ungulate was rather grouchy, and most complaints to the police in the wee hours before the morning shift would often end up including an additional complaint about Gnuton and his brusque mannerisms as well as the original complaint. Many of the regular callers asked for Maddox, but Geraldine had taken a position with the Sahara station and was now a regular beat cop like she wanted. Gnuton and Clawhauser had a decent enough rapport and these shift changes were fairly painless. The grouchy wildebeest nodded to Ben, stood, handed over a list of notes that he said Ben needed to keep an eye on, and left the desk. Ben sat down in the chair right where Gnuton had left it and suddenly found a noticeable space between him and the counter. Only the width of a few claws, but more than Ben remembered there being the last time he took notice.

Two claws narrower! He thought to himself excitedly.

Judy came through the front doors of the precinct as Ben scooted closer to the desk. His elbows were not quite over the lid of the desk when he sat upright, but he felt closer than ever. He looked down at the young rabbit officer as she walked his way and smiled down at her.

"Morning Judy!" he beamed. She looked back, she had not entered with her characteristic smile, but upon his greeting she brightened considerably.

"Hey Ben. You're looking cheery."

"I feel it too. Look. Look how close I am to my desk."

He rolled back and then forward again to show how near he could approach. Judy's eyes went up.

"Looking good. How much longer until you take the re-qualification test?"

"Soon. I'm feeling good... I mean most of my muscles are sore, and I feel super wiped out... but it's good. I'm getting back to my old strength. Anyway, you're looking less pleased than usual... and you had a date last night... did something go wrong?"

"Oh... it was all right. Better than that last guy I went out with a few months ago. At least this one kept his eyes above my neck."

"That's right, uh... oh I think you said his name was... Gary?"

"Garreth! Why does no one remember his name? I ranted about him for at least a couple of days."

"Anyway, this one was just all right? Not really a thrilling evening?" Ben brought the conversation back.

"Dan was fine and we had a lot to talk about... just nothing that I felt really meant we had any kind of 'connection', y'know? He was nice, he was attentive, and he had polite table manners, but he never really struck me as someone who I'd be anything more than 'comfortable with'."

"Mm-hmm, so another bust?"

"Not necessarily. At least I made a friend, and he wasn't that dull, just not really my type once we get passed talking about civic duty work."

"Now I'm curious, who is your type?"

Judy paused. Dating was something she was still new to, and relationships were something she never really took to as a younger animal. A type... she never really thought of that before.

"My... I don't know. I don't know that I've ever really hammered down a type for myself, never really had enough interest in dating to really bother. I guess it would need to be someone compassionate and kind, definitely would have to be intelligent, and some mean level of athleticism and adventurousness so we can go out often and do fun things."

"Huh," Ben looked at her with a crooked grin. "Well we'll have to work on that at some point, maybe narrow the field on dating material and get you some guys you really go for. Actually, you said 'someone', does it have to be a guy or can it be female? Just clarifying, no judgments."

Judy looked askance at Ben with a bemused smile at the suggestion that she was gay. Realizing she had indeed used gender neutral terms, she tilted her head to reflect and give the idea some thought. "I-I'm pretty sure it would have to be a guy. I'm trying to think of a time - _any time_ \- that I might have had feelings for a girl and I'm drawing a blank."

"So a nice guy, intelligent, and adventurous. I'll keep my eyes peeled," Ben affirmed. He then looked around. "Hey, where's Nick?"

"You know he always comes fashionably late," Judy waived off the concern. "He'll be in the Bullpen and in his seat just as Bogo adjusts his glasses."

Ben grinned. "Yeah, that sounds like the fox we know and love."

"Hey, shouldn't you be sitting in there with us? You're going back on active duty soon, shouldn't you get up to speed?"

Ben's face fell. "I'm not there yet... and who knows? Maybe I won't qualify."

Judy leapt to the desk and thumped her foot down hard. Ben snapped to.

"Benjamin Clawhauser," she said in her no-nonsense tone. "You have busted tail to get this far, you're fitter than I've ever seen you. You. Are going. To pass."

She held his gaze another moment and then relaxed.

"Now, you are going to run three more miles tonight, the varied route I gave you, for no other reason than because you can. When you're done, you're going to meet me for a protein shake before you go home, then you will shower and go straight to bed. Got it!?"

Wide-eyed Ben nodded. Judy smiled, hopped off the desk and started walking towards the Bullpen.

Inside the room, having passed the usual assortment of bears and lions doing arm-wrestling, and the heavy thumping among the other big members of the unit, she seated herself up front in the room and turned to look at McHorn at her side. He was his usual stern self, but as she or Nick did every day in the Bullpen, she gave him a smile and asked if he was excited about another day making the world a better place. In like form, McHorn rolled his eyes, but this time he gave a light smirk. Judy kept hoping that one day he'd lighten up enough that the eye-roll wouldn't be a part of the exchange, but the smirk was an improvement.

Officer Higgins called for attention and Judy stood in her seat. The chief entered and a round of good natured psyching-up chants followed. Judy looked around and grew a little apprehensive finding that her partner was still nowhere to be found. She had made the exaggeration of Nick arriving just as Bogo adjusted his glasses, but the idea of him being literally that late was not one she liked entertaining. While Bogo and Nick had a good rapport - the burly chief keeping his gruff and almost coldly-distant demeanor, and Nick answering the gruff old buffalo with cunning nonchalance - there was still the matter of needing to follow rules. If Nick was late, Bogo would come down hard on the fox officer, and Judy did not want that.

As Bogo reached the podium, Judy heard the door from the room to the lobby shut and a sound of scurrying paws approach her seat. Nick Wilde plopped himself right at her side, straightening his uniform and looking up; Bogo had just finished adjusting his glasses. Judy was half ready to give Nick a tongue-lashing for being so tardy and scaring her, but all eyes and ears had to be on the Chief.

"Good morning to everyone, we have a lot get through, so let's get to it."

* * *

Judy and Nick had made it a habit of alternating the role of driver on a daily basis when out on patrol (and of course only on days when they had a car), so since the day before had been Judy at the wheel, today she took the passenger seat. Following tradition, Judy did not initiate discussions with the driver, and Nick was glad. He was rather worn and groggy, though the drink Heather gave him seemed to be doing a decent job of keeping him alert without leaving him drained like caffeine would have by this point. Still, Nick was of a mind to observe the street and not focus on, or talk about, anything else if it could be helped. Glancing over now and then, however, he could see Judy was restless in her seat and after a few minutes Nick decided to open a discussion, if only to get her to not fidget so much as she scanned the streets.

"So Carrots, how were things after Heather and I took off?"

She looked his way a moment, startled by the sudden break in the silence. Then filled him in.

"Things were okay, but I kinda missed having you there. A joke now and then would have been nice."

"Oh... sorry. Conversations got kinda dull?"

"Not dull... just, lacking vitality. A little too... fine I'll just call it dull."

Nick chuckled before asking her the most pertinent question regarding these events.

"So are you thinking of going out with Dan again?"

"I don't think so. Maybe a lunch date or an afternoon coffee, but I don't think it's going to be more than friends. Talk is good, company is pleasant, but interests... not so aligned."

Nick looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "No? I thought he was into your thoughts on dealing with the growing crime rates near Little Rodentia. He seemed really involved in that."

"Oh intellectually I think we have a lot in common, but I asked if he was interested in going for a gondola ride through the Rainforest District and he said he doesn't like the damp air because it saturates his fur and clothes. Then I suggested going down to the piers and walking and feeling the sea breeze, and he said the air aggravates his sinuses... he just seems a little too neurotic, or at least not willing to give things a try... but hey how about Heather? I got the sense your thoughts were wandering, you weren't talking much."

"Yeah, Heather's not so much the 'talking and listening' kind of vixen... more the feeling, adventurous, 'only-live-once' type. We went for a long walk after we left you guys and she insisted we go on all fours through the park. Haven't been on my fore paws so much since the Academy."

"Wild girl, huh?" Judy teased. Nick involuntarily gulped.

"Yeah... and, uh, after that she took me to this late-night yoga class she goes to... a lot of 'om's and 'namaste's and... overall not really my thing. Though the stretching loosened a few muscles, so that was nice."

Judy nodded, neither she nor Nick were much for yoga beyond the physical benefits of stretching and toning their muscles to do their jobs better. She felt no surprise that the spiritualism was somewhat lost on him.

"...and after that I walked her home and... I stuck around for a bit to breathe some incense and... uh, just relax."

Judy looked back at him again after the abrupt end to the story and suddenly her eyes went wide. Now that she really took stock of him, aside from his slight discomfiture about the story, she realized other things amiss. Nick's fur was somewhat matted in odd places, his eyes had a tired look to them, and his uniform, though crisp, seemed like it had been thrown on without the customary adjustments he always made to fit it just perfectly. These were all minute details, but they were things she had eyes for. Nick sometimes got in to work right at the last minute like today. Usually that was because he liked to stop and say 'hi' to animals on the way, or help someone briefly when they needed another pair of paws. Though he was nearly tardy many days, he always came looking sharp... never like this. If he was disheveled, that suggested that he must not have had enough time for his morning rituals... which meant he either slept in or slept somewhere far from home last night... like Heather's apartment... which probably meant...

Judy was not sure what to think of this revelation, nor was she sure why this should be causing her to feel so stunned. Nick had been on a date after all, and just because it had been a double date did not eliminate the possibility of either of them going home with their respective companions. For Judy, Dan was friendly and charming, and provided stimulating conversation to stir her intellect, but she had not considered sleeping with him after she found him rather averse to the more active aspects of her personality. By contrast, Heather was clearly more interested in sensual pursuits; feeling rather than analyzing. She was kind, intelligent, and quite attractive, and she certainly seemed attuned to Nick. Given that perspective it was understandable that this could have occurred. Even so, Judy found herself stunned by this discovery.

She coughed to snap her mind out of it.

"So... um, sounds like you guys hit it off pretty well, she took you to an activity with her right after dinner. I guess she wants to involve you in her world."

"I don't think she and I are... all that compatible."

Judy was rather surprised to hear Nick say that. Especially after what she had deduced from her observations.  
"But you slept with her..." She caught herself the moment the words escaped her mouth. She could hear the judging tone in her voice and tried to backtrack. "I mean, you came to work at the last possible instant, you look tired, you said were at her place... I-I thought you..."

"I... _spent_ the night at her place, yeah." Nick assented without using the same terminology as Judy, but without denying her assertions either. "I mean, she's smart and pretty and we both seemed to want me to stay last night... but we both kind of agreed it's not to be. She's got that whole new-age, one-ness with the universe, free-love thing going and that's just not something I can really get on board with. That and she also might be into recreational drugs... there were some strange smells at the yoga studio. And NO Carrots, I didn't see anything at the studio, and we're not going to go bust up animals at a yoga studio just because I thought I could smell something."

She gave him the stink eye, but then relaxed.

"Anyway, it was all right." He intoned pensively. "Funny, you and I were talking about naturalists before they arrived, and I think Heather would fit in quite well with that crowd... but she and I aren't going to start anything other than I guess a good friendship."

He went silent and continued monitoring the neighborhood. He looked over at Judy after a few minutes and then decided not to break the silence a second time. The rest of the morning patrol proceeded fairly routinely. Thankfully it was a quiet day.

* * *

After work, Nick and Judy both clocked out and Judy met up with Ben. The retraining cheetah had just finished his run and was looking quite tired, but still standing tall. Judy invited Nick to join her and Ben for an after-work protein shake, and Nick fell into step with them as they walked down the plaza.

"So Ben, how do you feel?" Nick asked.

Ben grinned. "Well, I feel stronger and more solid than when I started as an officer... though nowhere near as fast I used to be. I really wish I didn't have to work so hard to get myself back in condition for the job."

Judy patted Ben's waist as they walked. "Our Ben is going to kick tail in his re-examination and be a regular beat cop in no time." She then adopted a mischievous smile and looked askance at Ben. "Won't 'Gazelle' be pleased."

Ben stiffened and Judy's grin began to infect Nick as well. He looked over his partner's ears and at his cheetah friend.

"That's right. How is that wonderful pen pal of yours doing Ben?" he asked innocently.

"Uh..." the poor cheetah always grew flustered when his friends put him on the spot about Gazelle. It was an ill-kept secret among the officers at the precinct that Benjamin Clawhauser was maintaining personal correspondence with a very popular, very attractive pop artist. This was fact was not disseminated by any one individual, merely the result of the most vocal 'Gazelle' fan among the force growing steadily more quiet and private about his icon.

"I... haven't spoken to her in about a week, but last I checked she was doing very well. She's just now renegotiating some contracts and looking to go to the next stage in her career."

"Ooh," Judy grinned. "What'll that be?"

"Hey, friendly secret." Ben retorted with a knowing grin.

As Nick walked along, letting the other two delve into their pop culture gossip, he felt his phone buzzing. He opened it and the caller ID showed Heather calling him. He decided to hang back and take it.

"Hey Carrots, Ben, go on without me. I'll see you guys later."

"Oh, okay," Judy said, realizing that it was probably Heather calling. "Are we still on for 'challenges' tomorrow?" she asked as she continued walking with Ben. Nick remembered the physical and mental challenges they put each other through and felt pleased to hear that they would be back to more of the same soon. He was on a winning streak in their competitions and wanted to keep it going.

"You know it, Fluff. See you later. Hey Ben, tomorrow you and I are doing the workout together like I promised."

Turning away from Judy and Ben after Ben gave him an affirmative on that last statement, Nick answered the phone. "Heather?"

"Hi Nick. Is this an okay time?"

"Uh yeah, my shift just ended. What's up?"

"I'm due to finish my shift at the studio soon. Maybe you could come by and we could grab a snack once I pack up?"

"Um, sure. I'll be right over."

The studio where Heather worked was actually only a few minutes walk from the precinct and in the direction Nick had already been heading. He got up to the door just as Heather was coming out. She looked a little tired, but she had an underlying perkiness to her demeanor that Nick imagined she got from doing so much stretching for so much of the day.

"Hey." They greeted one another, and by a slight tilt of her head, Heather directed him to follow her along the street. They only walked a short way until they got to a small café serving vegan-type food. Heather led him in the door, got them a table and made a quick order of a few drinks and some tapas.

Sitting down, Heather passed Nick his drink and began sipping from her own. A few minutes later their tapas arrived and they proceeded to taste them. After a few more minutes, Nick at last broke the silence.

"So... what exactly are we?"

Heather looked at him questioningly, but since she was still chewing, Nick decided to elaborate on what he meant by the question.

"I mean last night we said we didn't think we were a good match, but then we kissed and... now we're out having a bite to eat... this is not really my normal way of doing things with someone who tells me I'm not a good match for them."

She smiled, flattered to see him so innocently confused. "I told you: I like you and I felt like doing something fun, and as long as you were okay with it let's just do what we like. Seemed like you were okay with it, you had quite a lot of stamina to make it last so long."

Nick scratched the back of his neck to indicate that he was a little bashful, though not without a little pride at having been a source of pleasure.

"I just want to understand what's going on." He clarified.

"Well, what do _you_ want out of this?" She asked. "You got set up on a date with me, you came, and then we had an honest, open exchange about what we each want and don't want. And then we just did what felt right."

"I just don't want you to feel like I took advantage..."

"I asked _you_ to stay, and if I recall _I_ was the one making overtures to _you_."

Nick nodded to the side in conciliatory agreement. He decided to approach this with a different tact.

"Okay, so where does it go now? I mean, are we just friends? Do you want more than that, but not boyfriend/girlfriend? Am I something you have waiting in the wings?..."

"Nick you sound rather mercenary about the whole thing."

"I'm in unchartered waters with a beautiful vixen, who took me to the moon and back last night but says she doesn't want to be in a relationship with me. Call me old-fashioned, but it's a bit of a mind-screw."

She smiled understandingly and pushed their food to the side.

"Look, my aunt is worried about me because she thinks I'm alone and she wants me to be with someone... and if I'm being honest, I think she set me up with you because I mentioned not having _been_ with anyone in a while. But the point is, the date last night was more in line with what she wanted for me rather than what I want for me. I personally don't really want to have a relationship right now. I agreed to go out with you because my aunt went to the trouble of arranging it and I didn't want to be rude to her or you. Then when I met you I found you to be really nice, and we went out and had fun, and you were direct and honest with me... I found it refreshing. And ultimately, I'm not uptight about having sex with someone who's kind, smart and considerate... provided I'm in the mood and think he's worth my time... which I certainly think you were."

Nick kept his mind open and nodded. "Okay, and now what is it you want of me? I mean I'm okay with us being just friends, but will that be awkward for you?"

"I don't see why it should be. I've had lovers before that I've been able to be just friends with when the physically intimate portion of our relationship came to an end. And I know from some of my girlfriends that you've had a few lovers yourself. And as I understand it they still don't mind being friends with you. I don't have a problem being friends with you after what we've done, unless you have some issue being just friends with me."

Nick cocked an eyebrow. "I'm surprised these 'girlfriends' spoke so well of me. Given the reception I've received after some of my break-ups, not to mention the reception since I became an officer, I thought most vixens tended to hold a rather low opinion of me."

Since becoming an officer, Nick had been on thin ice with a number of foxes throughout the city. Him being effectively 'deputized' to help with a serious crime was looked on as something to laugh about - 'ooh, look at Big Bad Nick Wilde, the Hustled-Hustler who worked for a little bunny cop' - but him going to the Academy and becoming an officer had carried some serious ramifications.  
Foxes were not well regarded in Zootopian society and often became the targets of criminal investigations. Among the populace, one often found foxes, weasels and rats among the 'usual suspects' even when there was little to nothing to link such animals to a crime. This created a sour relationship between foxes and the police. When Nick became a cadet and then an officer, many foxes had turned decidedly cold towards him. Among his own species, Nick had seen some vixens quite literally turned their tails towards him when he came into their presence. While Nick had no qualms about going out with Heather, he was honest enough to admit it was partly because he had not had a date in months. Also, given that her species were not so generally stereotyped, a fox law enforcement officer probably did not strike her as being an oxymoron, so she did not think him some kind of traitor.

As Nick brooded on these facts, Heather took his paw in hers.

"I know a lot of the community has been terrible to you," she consoled him. "I'm so sorry about that. It's so unfair and totally out of order. You do a great thing keeping the city safe, and you give foxes a good name with your kind of job."

"Well, glad to know not _everyone_ hates me for it I guess," he said self-deprecatingly. "So anyway, I'm well-spoken-of?"

"Enough that I don't think you're a jerk." She teased. "And to such a degree that I think we could honestly be friends. I know I complicated it a bit by asking you to stay last night..."

"Asking me to stay wasn't bad, I think the complication came from what you wanted to _do_ in the tub and then in the bedroom." Nick said with the mildest look of combined humor and mock embarrassment. Heather turned away with a slightly bashful look of her own, but it was mostly for show; she did not really look ashamed.

"Well you didn't seem shy once I told you what I wanted. In any case, why don't I show you that we can still be friends? I'm going up to Far-End next Saturday to go to a sort of 'conference' for yoga and other moving-meditation practitioners and some permaculturalists. Why not come along? If nothing else, you'd get to see 'The Wild'."

Nick's face lit up when she mentioned 'The Wild'. That was the term most animals used to describe the untamed wilderness just beyond Far-End, the last town far to the west and slightly north of Zootopia. That was where animals that rejected the advancements of civilization fled in order to live out their lives as their savage ancestors had many generations before. The country was rumored to be populated by herds of wild deer, thousands upon thousands of wild squirrels, voles and other smaller rodents, as well as the odd raccoon or lynx. Some reports suggested that a pack of wolves roamed those woods, and possibly even a bear... something was needed to keep down the prey population. These dangers did not stop the influx of tourists that wanted to camp in regions near the Ranger stations around Far-End. Nick had heard that officially, Zootopia was responsible for helping the police force at Far-End, particularly when it came to issues of the Wild, though he was a little flimsy on the details.

 _...a trip to Far-End._

"You could bring Judy along too. I'd like to see her again." Heather added.

Nick snapped from his reverie. "Oh, sure. I think that would really excite her... oh by the way, she knows that we... you know."

Heather grinned mischievously. "Had sex?" Nick relaxed his expression with a mildly exasperated sigh.

"She saw me looking tired and disheveled this morning and deduced where I was last night. She's pretty sharp."

"Clearly," Heather agreed. "Oh I definitely want her to come. Say you guys will both come."

Nick and Heather stayed there another hour and had a nice time. She then excused herself and walked herself home. Nick offered to escort her, but she insisted that she could take care of herself. He knew better than to argue.

* * *

After her protein drink and a long discussion about Zootopia's most famous popstar with Ben, Judy got to her place, cleaned up and decided to call her parents.

The phone as usual only rang twice before her mom answered. These days with so many of the kits moved out to start their own burrows, Bonnie was more eager than ever to hear from her kits, Judy in particular. Stu also came over to share the window and be part of the conversation, but it became a bit of a squeeze and Bonnie to push and shift so they could both see.

"Oh, Stu, make a little room so I can be in the view." She said.

"You guys could turn the phone side-ways and then the view will be wider." Judy suggested.

Once her parents had done so there was no more need for readjustment.

"Jude-bug sweetheart, how are you?" Bonnie asked.

"Hi you guys. I was just back from work and thought I would give you a call."

"Say you were out on a date with that pika fellow weren't you? Did it end already? Was it bad? Wait... is he there?" Stu asked each question without pausing for an answer.

"I went out with him last night Dad. Actually it was a double date; Nick brought a girl he's seeing."

"Ooh, after the part about you, tell us more about that." Bonnie suggested. Judy rolled her eyes at the gossiping ways of her parents.

"It was all right, but I don't think Dan and I have any real compatibility. I'm not planning on seeing him again for another date."

"Oh, June-bug I'm sorry," Bonnie attempted to placate her daughter. "Was it as bad as that fellow 'Guy'?"

"GARRETH! How does no one remember his name? He couldn't be bothered to talk to me and meet my eyes. Every time he even bothered to look in my direction it was at my chest or tail! I ranted about how much of a jerk he was to _everyone_ who wouldn't run away from me. How does _no one_ remember his name?"

Stu had backed away from the phone and gotten smaller in the phone window, while Bonnie had held the phone, but her eyes had grown rather large and her ears had drooped behind her head. Judy realized she was out of line and gave a nervous, apologetic smile.

"Oh Mom, Dad I'm sorry for snapping. I've had to correct Nick and Ben on the name already and it was bringing up bad memories."

Stu came forward again. "No... no problem Judy, we won't mention him again. But you're saying this fellow wasn't working out either?"

"Just no sense of adventure in him Dad. Not even the mildest amount of bend to accommodate me and what I wanted to do. I wanted to go down to the port and feel the sea breeze or up to the Rainforest and go to the canopy, and he just had so many neurotic complaints."

"Now Judy, he could have serious allergies." Bonnie admonished her.

"For the sea and the salt spray I could make an exception, but the rainforest because it's a little moist? I'm sorry Mom, but he wouldn't even try to give me some alternatives that I would like."

"Well, maybe you should be looking for a nice buck to settle down with. Make me a grandfather." Stu said with the characteristic smile, wink and tone of voice that said ' _Could 'ya, would 'ya?'_. Bonnie rolled her eyes just slightly, but she did look at Judy with her ' _Give your father a l_ _isten, dear_ ' expression.

"Dad, you are a grandfather. You've got nearly seventy grandkits already."

"But only about five are from my own stock. All your distant brothers and sisters, I love those kits, but there is a separation that I don't have when it comes to my own fur and blood. I want some more of my own, and _you._.. you would make such a great mother."

"Dad, I've barely started on my career. I'm going to live my life for a little bit and keep my eyes open, but I'm not settling yet."

"Your father has a point dear. You're the last of your litter that's unmarried and you aren't as young as you used to be."

Judy rolled her eyes.

"Mom, I'm twenty-six, I'm not over the hill."

"You remember your Aunt Sandra," Bonnie started and Judy rolled her eyes. "Completely given over to her car-"

" '-eer and never settled down to raise a litter.' Mom, you guys have told me that story a million times. Those long, gray things on my head, those _are_ ears, not radio antennae; I _have_ heard what you guys tell me."

"You don't really have a history of _listening_ to what we say, Judy." Stu admonished.

"Just don't leave this to the last minute." Bonnie persisted.

"Okay, guys you harping on me will not make me a mother or give you both more grandkits when I don't have a guy, so can we please change the subject?"

Just then the phone started buzzing and in the icon showing caller-ID Judy could see the handsome profile of her partner Nick.

"Hey, I'm getting a call from Nick. Can I put you on hold?"

"The closest thing to a regular male in her life is a fox." Stu complained.

Judy did not wait to hear a confirmation and hit the 'Answer' button on Nick's call. His face did not pop up and she found herself on a standard phone call.

"Boy am I glad you called. My parents are on the other line and giving me the usual."

On the other end Nick made the soft snort that told her he was grinning. "Did they mention the Aunt Sandra story yet?"

"Yep."

"Like the parents in a cheap, rom-com. So predictable... no offense."

"None taken. What's up, I shouldn't leave them on hold for too long."

"Oh, I just got an invitation for both of us to go out of town with Heather next week. Maybe you wanna come?"

Judy felt a little awkward given that this was an invitation to go hiking with two friends who had a little more than the average friendship going on, but she played it cool. "Uh, did she say where?"

"Out to Far-End."

"You mean the WILD!" she exclaimed. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"We're not going into the _real_ Wild, at least not beyond the view of the ranger stations. Heather wants to go to this meeting for something called 'permaculture' and a bunch of yoga practitioners are going too: some kind of conference they're putting together. I was kinda thinking: 'Why not? I've never been to the Wild'. What'dya say? Wanna come?"

"Isn't this more of a Nick-and-Heather thing? I don't want to be a third wheel."

"Carrots, I told you there is no 'Nick-and-Heather', just friends going to hang out. You're my friend so I'm inviting you to come too. Heather even said there would be others around, so this isn't a date. And she was actually hoping you would come."

Judy still felt unsure, but a trip to the Far-End did sound like fun. She didn't really have any plans for next weekend, and if Nick was thinking of going on a trip and wanted her to come along then it certainly seemed okay for her to attend.

"Well... "

"Come on... I'd really like to go. My dad used to tell me all kinds of stories about the forests out there and I always wanted to go. The Ranger-Scouts had field trips out there and that was one of the big draws for me."

"And we'll be within reach of help if anything happens?"

"I've looked this place up online before and asked other animals that have been out there. We're right next to at least one Forest Ranger station and a Police Station. It seems fine."

"Then I'm in... hey, after we're done, maybe you should come with me to Bunnyburrow. Far-End is quite far out to the west. We'd actually be closer to my parents' place than Zootopia."

"Are you sure they won't mind me crashing there for a night?"

"No, it'll be fine. I'll arrange it after you hang up."

"Well... all right, I'm in. So next Saturday, I'll get the particulars from Heather and we'll all go."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

"Good night Carrots."

Nick hung up and Judy observed the option to pull up the chat with her parents become available. She selected it and found them where she left them.

"Hi, that was Nick. He was inviting me to go on a hike next weekend."

"And all of her off-work activities... still with a fox."

"Dad, would you give the grandkit-thing a rest. I wanted to ask if Nick and I can come by and see you guys next Saturday evening? We'll be in the area."

"Oh," Bonnie perked up a little. "Where are you going to be hiking?"

"Before you say anything, trust me that it's going to be safe and I will take care of myself. Nick will too."

Bonnie and Stu turned a little nervous. Judy knew it was unlikely that this assurance would actually prevent them from freaking out at what she would say next, but at least she could claim that she had tried to calm them.

"We're going out to spend the day at Far-End."

Her parents needed an extra minute to stop shrieking about how there were savage beasts, dangerous creatures, and wild monsters at Far-End. Every bit of lore, no matter how ridiculous, seemed to spew from her Dad, and her Mom was quite concerned as well, though she was more concerned about 'regular' feral animals that might wander out of the woods and try to attack her. Finally, after they had worn themselves down with loud exposition and concern, Judy spoke again.

"I _did_ tell you trust me it would be safe. Anyway, Nick's friend invited us to come because she's going up there as part of a yoga practitioner retreat or conference or some such thing. Nick really wants to go and I'd like to see it too. We'll only be up there for one day and we could probably be down to see you that night. Then we could be there Sunday and get back to Zootopia in time for work."

It took a little more cajoling and reassurances, but eventually Judy got her parents settled enough to let it go and promise to put her and Nick up for Saturday night. She left the conversation after a few more pleasantries and a few hello's and goodbye's from her younger siblings who wandered in to take part in the conversation. Her sister Janey in particular was excited at the prospect of Judy coming to visit.

"Will you tell me all about what's going on in Zootopia?" the thirteen-year-old asked.

"I will. I promise." Judy assured her.

"Can I come back with you?" Janey asked hopefully.

Judy smiled. "Someday soon, I promise."

After saying goodbye and closing her phone, Judy finished getting ready for bed and plopped onto her mattress to sleep. She and Nick both had an additional shift tomorrow, and she needed to rest. She drifted to sleep with dreams of dark forests, wild beasts, and of running through the woods among a warren of wild rabbits as they scurried through burrows and avoided the predators.

* * *

 _A note about the interactions between Heather and Nick and the fact that he spent the night at her place:_

 _Yes, she invited Nick to spend the night with her and still pursued a little sensual indulgence after saying she did not see them as compatible the way their matchmakers did. That being the case, her interest in him is due to her_ own _respect for him, and her willingness to have him stay is because she_ IS _interested in him in her own way. Additionally, neither the characters nor I myself use the term one-night stand when describing this interaction. These are friends who felt free to indulge a little casual sex, not because they are immoral or perverted. They are simply comfortable with one another and feel like enjoying some consensual activities._

 _Yes that is a bit liberal and in some sense fantastical, but urban landscapes lend themselves to liberal behavior, and so do fantastical stories like the lives of anthropomorphic animals._


	3. Chapter 3

_...and thus, we return to another installment of my second tale of Zootopia. Please be mindful that all of the characters I have introduced along the way, and all of the issues that everyone deals with... they all play into how my stories unfold. Maybe not this chapter, or the next, but soon and for the whole of the series._

 _If you have not read the first story_ (Zootopia: Shake-Up) _, then some of the material in this chapter might not make as much sense to you, or it may feel like it came out of nowhere. As I said at the end of that first story, the sentiments and feelings that began in that first week will permeate through months or even years of behavior in the ZPD. Here is where you see some of its long-term effects and what it produces among the main characters._

* * *

"Should have brought more water." Judy intoned as she emptied the last of her canteen over her head and felt the cooling liquid roll around her ears. She looked over the peaks and woods around her and while she marveled at the majesty, she was also winded from the hike. This was the first time Judy had been at an elevation more than about a thousand feet that was not the product of going to the roof of a Zootopian skyscraper.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Heather said from beside her smaller, grey companion. She drew in air through her nose and let out a contented sigh as she exhaled. Heather seemed to be thriving in this terrain and was stopping more as a courtesy to her companions than to deal with any of her own weariness. Despite being in great shape, Judy and Nick were not used to the rugged terrain or the altitude and were struggling a bit to keep pace with their guide.

"How do you get so much energy for this Heather? People call me the 'Energizer Bunny', but my _word_ , it doesn't hold a candle to you on this hike." Judy asked.

Nick thought Judy might be speaking rhetorically, but offered his take anyway. "My guess... she spends all of her day in a spa teaching yoga and builds up all that energy without being able to release it... then as soon as she gets out of work she does relaxing exercise the cultivates and stores the energy... only _now_ does she finally just let it loose."

Heather giggled at the exchange. "I've made trips here before, and I go to mountain regions as often as I can. It feels more natural to me. But come on, just another mile and then it's all downhill. We can be back to the stations before the meeting begins."

Judy and Nick allowed themselves another moment to pump blood to their ears and mouth, respectively. Then they got up and started moving with their guide again. Both had packed backpacks with some necessities: water, trail food, and in Judy's case a first-aid kit (which went into Nick's pack since it was larger). Being only mildly burdened, they were not having trouble with the weight of their burdens, only the altitude; a few thousand feet made quite a difference. Heather started moving ahead again and Judy took a moment to edge a little towards her hiking partner.

"If you had told me it would be this intense I would have loaded up on carbs last night."

"I didn't know it was going to be like this. She always moves like molasses the rest of the time, like she's in slow motion. Like I said: stored excess energy."

Judy was about to make a comment about how he could have done something about that energy of hers, but thought better of it. She still did not fully understand the relationship between Nick and Heather. It was only some small comfort that Nick did not seem to understand it himself. She had been proven correct in her assertion that they had had sex, but nothing else about them seemed to suggest that this was anything more than a friendship. Judy shook her head and looked off to the side of the trail. Something caught her eye and she slowed enough to confirm what she thought she saw.

"Hey, is that a burrow?" she asked.

Nick slowed up and looked over to where her eyes had fallen upon a small hole that went into the ground. It looked like it would be a pretty narrow squeeze for him, but Judy was probably small enough that it would fit her just fine.

"Yeah, kinda looks like it. I guess there must be some wild rabbits out here too."

"I don't think that's a rabbit burrow. The incline is too shallow. I've seen old burrows and I remember reading up on them at school. Our ancestors always made them angle sharply downwards... yeah this one is too shallow of an incline." Judy declared.

"Well let's catch up to Heather and ask if she knows anything about them." Nick suggested.

Judy agreed and they set off to catch their much faster guide.

"Hey Heather, do you know of any feral rabbits out here in the woods?" Nick asked as he caught up to her. Judy got around to Heather's other side around the same time that Nick had finished the question.

"Not that I know of, why do you ask?" Heather responded.

"We saw what looked a little like a burrow a little ways off the trail, but I think it's a bit irregular for a proper rabbit burrow."

"Hmm... well there are all kinds of animals that wander around the border here. I guess it's possible one of them could have dug a burrow for shelter during a storm. Or was it a tunnel? Did it lead anywhere?"

"We didn't get close enough to see," Nick admitted. "Think the rangers would know?"

"Well we can certainly ask when we get down there. Come on, let's pick up the pace or we'll miss the start of the conference." Heather hoisted her pack and quickened the pace. Poor Nick and Judy struggled to keep up and keep breathing.

* * *

"So this is the Far-End Glade Station," Judy exclaimed as they at last reached the bottom of the trail. She noticed there was road nearby that would have allowed them rather easy access, but rather than complain she settled for just feeling relieved that the hard trudge of the day seemed to be over.

"The meetings are going to start over there around the bonfire pit." Heather pointed out. "After that they move into the other campgrounds depending on what seminar you want to attend."

"What about the station there?" Nick asked. "It looks large enough to have some kind of auditorium."

"Not enough for the number of animals we expect to attend." Heather replied.

"Well I want to ask them about that burrow I saw," Judy declared. She started marching for the door and Nick decided to follow. Heather was interested to see how this unfolded and fell into step.

The inside of the station looked like a combination of a parks lodge and a police station. The atrium was rather open, with some rustic chairs along the wall and an ornate, traditional-settler-style rug on the floor. The ceiling was probably only just tall enough to accommodate an elephant, but they would probably be rubbing their heads against the rafters. There were only two officers on duty, wearing uniforms that made it uncertain whether they were in fact cops or rangers or both.

"Hello, how may we help you?" Asked the larger of the two: a hefty grizzly bear with a very welcoming smile and demeanor that said he was happy to sit there and listen or come out do whatever he could to help.

"Hello," Judy began. She wanted to ask about the burrow, but the confusion about whether this was in fact a ranger station or a police station caused her to deviate in thought and questioning. "Actually, I was curious are you guys the police or the rangers?"

"Is there a problem? Is anyone lost or hurt?"

"No, not that I'm aware of. I was just curious, it was hard to tell from your uniforms."

"Well we _are_ police, but we can do much of what the rangers do, we patrol the forest and spend a lot of our time in the woods. We know the edge regions and some of the inhabitants almost as well as the _official_ rangers."

"So then, you guys patrols _inside_ the forest?"

"Well the rangers take care of most of the _in-forest_ surveillance since it's technically out of our jurisdiction," the smaller officer, a pine marten chimed in. "Many of the animals in there are in various stages of feral behavior. Some don't even respond in any civilized language, they just grunt and growl. Still, they are mostly fairly passive creatures... when they aren't hungry. Our job is to handle the animals making the transition into or out of the forest. We let the rangers know if we've seen any new animal go in, and we try to take care of any animals that come out. Mostly we need to at least be able to track their movements when the crossings take place."

Now Judy had almost forgotten what she came in to ask about and wanted to hear a more about the police work. Nick was also quite engrossed. Heather listened in too, though not with the professional interest of the two law enforcement animals with her.

"I'm actually curious, what's actually _in_ the forest?" Judy asked. "I've only ever heard hearsay and legends, and not much is available online except postings on sites that talk about alien abductions. I always thought the forest was forbidden."

"Oh we discourage any tourists from going in, but there's no actual _law_ that forbids any animal from going into the woods. It's just rather uncertain what will happen once you're out of sight." The bear officer replied. "There isn't all that much to it, really. Some animals get a little overwhelmed by the world and think that it would be better to go back to being wild animals, so they get to the edge of the forest, strip off their clothes, get on all fours, and just waltz right on in. We've known some groups to actually _send_ animals in there as a sort of 'hazing', trying to see if they're tough enough for a fraternity or such nonsense by forcing them to survive in a land where it's really the 'rule of the jungle' or some such."

"The inhabitants include all types," the pine martin replied. "Squirrels, voles... a few raccoons... I even saw a coyote go in a few months back, not sure what became of her. I used to work as a ranger myself, and mostly the forest is fairly sedate. Few animals in there that actually _could_ eat a fellow my size would even snarl if they saw me. The few predators that are in there try to eat mostly birds eggs, or dig up grubs, or get fish from the streams. It's interesting really, they try to go back to a less civilized, supposedly 'purer' form of living from eons back, and they still try to keep to many of the morals we have about consuming other mammals."

"Yeah, but why _are_ they in there at all? It seems dangerous, they could starve, get injured, suffer disease... and it would seem like animals _could_ get eaten and no one would meet out any form of justice." Judy persisted.

"Well like my colleague said, for some it's just a temporary retreat," the bear re-entered the conversation. "A dangerous one, mind you, and one that we discourage, but temporary even so. For some, they really feel a major pull from nature and want to rid themselves of the trappings of civilization. We don't really try to argue against it, we just make sure they don't hurt anyone else here at the border."

"So is that most of what you do?" Nick asked. "Monitor the forest and keep tabs on comings and goings?"

"Well we're partnered with the rangers for that purpose, but most of the time we just leave those animals to themselves, and the forest work to the rangers," the bear continued. "More often we deal with cases of runaway kits sneaking out there and getting lost. Once we even had a fellow from Zootopia, a beaver who probably had some mental problems, got it in his head to stop animals from going to the Wild, so he was going to cut down all the trees. He just went in there and started chewing on every tree. He was even commenting on the flavor and kept switching trees if he didn't like the taste. Glad he never chewed far enough to bring one down at least. You get all kinds."

"Wow." Judy exclaimed. "I've heard of some strange stories about this place, but fact really does sound stranger than what stories told me."

"So where do you come from?" the pine marten asked.

"Actually we're officers with the ZPD," Judy replied. "This is one of our weekends off so we're just here for recreation. It's quite amazing what you do, I'm glad we stopped by."

Nick nodded with a bemused looked, then he remembered what they came in to ask about.

"By the way, my friend here saw what looked like a burrow up along the trail. We were curious if there are any wild rabbits or other animals up in the woods that would have made that?"

"Oh, the weasel runs?" the bear asked. "Those are just remnants of old smuggling operations for bringing game into the city. Seedy black market deals and the like."

"Game? As in animal meat?" Judy sputtered.

"Good quality mammal organs and bush meat can sell for a really high price. Back-alley surgeons use 'em, and the rich and powerful like to try the exotic." The pine marten replied.

"Exotic? It's flesh of other mammals! That's DISGUSTING!" Judy blurted out. Heather also looked rather disgusted. Nick was repulsed, but he had a look of fascination.

"Oh I'm not saying I agree with the practice," the pine marten responded calmly, with an almost sage-like tone. "Only that the runs served that purpose, and there's still a market for mammal parts... and for those that don't mind breaking the law it can be quite lucrative. We busted a gang carting possum bodies through here about two years back. They were going to sell them strictly for meat, and they could get more for that shipment than our annual budget. Isn't that a testament to the skewed priorities of mammal-kind?"

Judy shook her head to get rid of the thoughts of cannibalistic and predatory acts that such stories always made her think of. She thanked the officers and decided to head out to the circle where the meetings were starting. Heather went with her, but Nick hung back.

"Do you get cases like that often?" he asked them.

"Thankfully no," the large bear took over. "Most of our days are spent monitoring the woods and offering help to the campers. Most are quite friendly. Once in a while one of the Wild creatures wander beyond the forest and into town and sometimes they can really cause trouble if they're not used to talking to anyone. Being away from other animals and in a setting where you actually have to consider the possibility of eating living things or possibly being eaten... it can really skew your view of things."

"So other than you two, what kinds of guys do you get working here?" he asked.

"Oh fellows from the Academy who come expecting to 'conquer The Wild', or some such." The bear continued. "They never last, though. Most of the regulars started in something different. Martin here, he used to be a ranger and then decided to join the force here. I grew up a few miles away and couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Actually we get a guy from Zootopia in for a stint now and then."

"From Zootopia? Really?"

"Yeah, you never heard of the Liaison-Officer?"

"I've only been in the force about a year."

"Well you should be hearing about it soon. We got a guy here, a boar, who thought he could handle the woods. Haven't had one day with the guy that I didn't think of biting off his snout just so he would shut up about how much better it is in Zootopia."

Given what Nick had seen of this fellow, something capable of getting an animal this mellow and soft-spoken to feel that peeved must be pretty annoying.

"So why do you say I'll hear about this Liaison-Officer job?" Nick asked.

"Cause he's being replaced," the bear replied. "The job's temporary. We rotate you Zootopia fellows out every two years, though once we had a fella' stay for three... and I'm told one of the LO's actually left the ZPD to become a ranger some years back. But anyway, we're due for some fresh blood, and not a moment too soon."

Nick was very intrigued: working here near the Wild, still a part of the ZPD, only two to three years...

"Well that's nice; someone new. What are you hoping the new cop will bring?"

"Oh I hope we don't get saddled with another urban whiner. It's called 'The Wild' for a reason. We don't have much out here, so I would think they wouldn't come here expecting the comforts of Zootopia. I mean, if you can't handle some changes in temperature and humidity with the season, or you can't handle coffee that's not from one particular café on Marsh St, then you should stay there. If the next LO would just not be that, then I'll be happy."

"I'd like someone who can handle all of the investigations," the pine marten chimed in.

"How's that now?" Nick asked to get clarification.

"Well we get a case now and then: missing mammal, savage attack, possession of contraband or other things. Most often it isn't too hard handling our own casework, but it's hard to do an investigation and take care of all that we do here. I'd ask for someone who could be our own central intelligence service. Keep all of our cases together and get them processed more quickly. That would definitely help us out."

"I guess that would be pretty helpful," the bear confirmed. "Though I doubt anyone interested in detective work is going to try to come here. Any of the 'good cases' they want will be in Zootopia."

The gears in Nick's head were turning. They wanted someone to do detective work. This job sounded better and better the more he heard.

"Do you know how the LO gets selected?" Nick queried further.

The marten answered. It was kind of fun to see these two animals switch roles in responding to Nick's questions. "Supposedly some cops volunteer, and the Chief in Zootopia makes the final decision, but I don't think many officers are volunteering lately. Our current Liaison seems more like the one who drew the short straw..."

"Hey Nick?" came Judy's voice from the door. He looked over his shoulder. "Heather and I are going up the cloister, the meetings are about to start, are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a bit." He then turned back to the officers as she left again.  
"This all sounds really interesting. If I could learn more, I'd really like to. Oh, I'm Nick by the way, Nick Wilde."

The bear gleefully extended his paw and shook Nick's with gusto. Given the discrepancy in size it was a lot of shaking for Nick and it wrenched his shoulder rather fiercely. "Nice to meet you Nick. My name's Arthur Grizzwold, but everyone calls me 'Grizz'. Oh, and this is Martin Pine."

Mercifully, Grizz let go of Nick and Martin casually extended his paw to take Nick's. Being slightly shorter than Nick and much more calm and subdued, the paw-shake with Martin was far more pleasant after the massive shake by Grizz.

"Nice to meet you both." Nick said.

"If you _are_ interested, maybe you should talk to the Chief. He knows all of the officer's duties and would probably have a more even opinion of the job than the current Liaison." Martin suggested.

"His opinion certainly couldn't be worse." Grizz confirmed.

"Yeah, that would be good." Nick assented. "Do you know when he's available to talk? Or should I call him or send an email?"

"Face to face may be better," Grizz suggested. "Chief Boggs isn't much for email, and he hangs up the phone pretty much the moment he feels like it's a waste of time. He should be in later this afternoon if you want to stop by again. If you leave me some contact info I could let you know the moment he's in."

"Okay, if you have a pen..."

As this exchange took place, another door of the station behind the front desk opened and a gruff looking badger waddled into the office marked 'Chief Boggs'. Grizz watched this transit and then turned back to Nick with an amused look before stating matter-of-factly: "It appears the Chief is in. Let me go ask if he's available to talk now."

Grizz disappeared into the office for less than thirty seconds before emerging again. Nick and Martin barely had time to look at each other in surprise between Grizz's disappearance and re-emergence.

"The chief can spare a few minutes. Sorry for the impromptu nature of it all, but that's kind of how it is here."

"No problem." Nick replied and walked over to knock.

"Come in." Came a gruff voice from inside and Nick opened the door and stepped through.

* * *

Inside the office were multiple bookshelves and stacks of documents, on the wall hung portraits showing officers wearing the same uniform as the chief: most likely his predecessors. Behind the desk sat the cantankerous-looking badger that had marched in not a minute earlier.

"So, Grizz tells me you're a cop from Zootopia and you want this Liaison job." Boggs motioned Nick to sit. From the tone and forceful gesture Nick sensed this was not meant as a courtesy so much as this Chief Boggs taking care of the bare necessities of professional decorum. Then again, it seemed equally likely that he simply did not want to have to talk up to his guest. Nick could sense a very unwelcoming air about the Chief, but strangely it was more of the air of someone who just didn't want to be bothered by anyone, rather than an air of disdain for Nick's species. That much Nick actually appreciated, it was a level grouchy behavior on-par with Bogo and without any history of negative profiling... or at least none yet.

"Well I'm interested to hear more about it." Nick confirmed as he sat down.

" 'To hear more about it', heh, so you can take your pick about whether you want it rather than if we want you. Ain't that the way in Zootopia?" The Chief grumbled. Nick could see he was not in the company of someone who was likely to think well of him, but it seemed a blanket disdain of Zootopia and Nick felt he could still work with that.

"Look, I'm just a city fox with only a year of experience on the police force. I heard what your officers said about the job and I'm interested to know more. If I think I could fit here and you think I could be of some use, then maybe we discuss the possibility of me joining. If neither of us likes the idea of me being here, then I'll apologize for wasting your time and leave. I'm just trying to learn the lay of the land."

The old badger grimaced and looked at Nick with the stink eye, but he gave a pensive nod. The fox at least was not obsequious, that showed he had a spine, and he was not talking as if the job were already his, which showed some humility... which seemed in rather short supply among ZPD officers; one of the things Boggs hated about them most.

"All right, so what do you bring that makes you qualified to be Liaison?"

Nick was ready with a somewhat unconventional answer.

"One of the things I learned in my first year as a cop was who talks to who and how information passes around the ZPD, official and not. I can keep the whole of Far-End up-to-date with ease and make sure the right members of the ZPD hear from Far-End consistently so this station doesn't get static from up the chain, and it gets support commensurate with need."

Boggs did not look too impressed. Then again, he was not doing a dismissive eye-roll, which Nick took as a mild success.

"And what makes you so interested in working here?" Chief Boggs asked.

"I admit this is my first time to Far-End, but I grew up with a lot of stories about this place and I like the idea of being here. I'm not a starry-eyed dreamer thinking this is paradise, and I'm not some urban-whiner who'll complain about the work. I know this is a job and I'll treat it seriously. Also, I want to serve the needs of the station while I'm here because I see them dovetailing with mine."

Boggs leaned forward. If he was interested he hid it well, but he was at least still listening. Nick took it as a cue to continue.

"I hear you handle cases of runaways and missing mammals and maybe some contraband smuggling. I also heard you don't really have anyone consistently responsible for handling the investigative aspects of those cases; everyone just handles whatever needs to be done on their own. I'm a capable patrol officer and I would do my part here to survey and report comings and goings, but I have some detective skills and I want a chance to employ them. Maybe I could serve as the go-to officer for investigating; if that's at all possible here."

"This isn't downtown Zootopia, kit. We deal with emergencies when they happen; not long, drawn-out stings and undercover nonsense. And you don't get a team, you work with whoever's on hand."

"Then allow me to rephrase, chief. The way your officers described the work, it sounded like they each has to handle their patrols and any and all investigative duties on their own. I get the sense that a designated investigator who could help with everyone's casework would be preferred. I was interested in that possibility and I want to know if you see eye-to-eye with them regarding that need? I'm not looking to minimize any other essential officer duties I would have here, I just want to work a little more on something I think I could do well."

"Couldn't hack it in the big city so you come here because you think you can throw your weight around?"

Nick bristled slightly, but found the exchange ever so slightly refreshing. The Chief's outright aggression actually felt a little better than the passive aggressiveness and speciest undertones back in Zootopia.

"Okay Chief I'll admit to something. A lot of the time I don't like what I got going on in the Urban Jungle. I'm the only fox officer in the whole department, and I would say my species is why I generally only get on with about four or five members of the department. I work with a great partner, but I got accepted to the Academy and funneled into my job because of her. Not that I'm not grateful, but it all went on without my input or say-so. I could probably work there for another twenty years and no one is going to miss a chance to make me feel unwanted or unwelcome and add unnecessary discrimination to my work."

The Chief only blinked. Nick's personal dilemmas were of small interest or consequence for him after all. Nick continued anyway.

"Those facts aside, I like the work and I want to give to the service; not necessarily to 'make-the-world-a-better-place', but at least to find my place in it and make my way. I do good work and I'm an okay guy. All I want is to do my work and be judged on my qualities so I can learn to do it better. I get the sense maybe that would be possible here. Also, I want to hone my skills to be a better police officer regarding criminalistics and investigations. The officers here seem to care enough to encourage that growth, or at least not stymie it."

"This isn't the land of universal inclusivity and happy-times kit. Better you go to one of those hippy communes if you want that."

Nick exhaled.

"Okay, I'll put it this way: _you_ need to fill this position with someone to keep in contact with the ZPD, despite your apparent lack of interest in anything to do with them. _I_ want a chance to be a better officer than I think I can grow to be back at the ZPD. I see us being able to help each other achieve our respective goals. If I work here I'll be the token ZPD officer and no doubt a thorn in your side, but I'm also here to learn and address your needs as well as mine, and yes, in that order. If you think you can stomach me and be critical of my police work without my species being an issue then I can at least have a chance to learn and grow and I can be the officer that gets you what you need whether it's from the ZPD, or with minimal involvement from them."

Boggs did no more than blink. Nick decided he had said all he could. If there was even a chance that Boggs would consider him, it was from what had been said. Boggs did not look like the kind to be swayed by politicians or big promises that did not already include some results. Nick decided to wrap it up.

"So that's my pitch. If you think what I offer is what you need, and if you think there's a place for me here, then great. If not... I guess good luck finding the better fit and thank you for your time."

Boggs folded and then unfolded his claws. Nick scooted his chair back as if to get up and go, but Boggs spoke as Nick started to stand.

"Send me your résumé and talk to your Chief. If I don't find someone better I guess there may be a place for you here... what was your name again?"

"Wilde, Nick Wilde."

"Wilde, that why you want this job? Namesake? Nevermind, that'll be all Wilde. Ask Grizz for the department contacts, forward us your résumé, and talk with your own department."

Nick stood and extended his paw.

"Thank you, Chief."

Boggs looked flatly at Nick.

"I didn't give you the job, Wilde."

"No, but you listened to my spiel and asked for my résumé sir. That much I think is worth a 'thank you'."

Boggs begrudgingly shook Nick's hand and Nick left the office, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Grizz was conspicuously absent from the front, but Martin was still there, and so was a rather incongruous fellow: a Sambar deer. Nick turned to Martin.

"Hey, could I get a departmental email or some other contact information? Chief Boggs wants me to send in my résumé."

Martin's eyebrows went up. "A good sign. Here I'll give you one of the department cards. Oh, this is Bambini - he's another one of the officers here."

As Nick shook Bambini's hoof and Martin retrieved a card for Nick, Judy came through the door to call him to the meeting grounds. He had missed the first several talks and she insisted he did not want to miss the next.

Nick bid Martin farewell and followed her out.

* * *

 _I think I will leave you here for the time being. I want to make sure I get the story as tight as I can before I start adding more lines._

 _Thank you to the readers and especially the reviewers._

 _I hope all of you will send me some reviews. The input helps me direct the story and gives me ideas on things I should add._


	4. Chapter 4

_Before I even wrote this chapter I was busy on a chapter for a future story in this series where I bring in a rabbit-folklore story. The inspiration came from_ Watership Down _by the recently deceased Richard Adams. His story was a fantasy of 20th century rabbits on a journey to make a new home. I highly recommend the book and its follow-up:_ Tales from Watership Down. _Both are written in a simple style, but they are pleasing stories. The point of this is that I think it best to introduce a little snippet of the kind of work I intend to show in the not-too-distant future. Also, this gives me a chance to introduce a_ very important _new character that will have an_ enormous impact _on the stories yet to come._

 _Enter_ Janey Dandelion Hopps.

 _Disclaimer: Watership Down is the property of publishers 'Rex Collins' and 'Hutchinson', and the brainchild of Richard Adams. "The Fox and the Hound" was written by Daniel Mannix, published by E.P. Dutton, and rendered into a film by Disney (you will understand the reference in the tale told by Nick). The stories of Japanese Kitsune have been rendered into many legends, and the one I describe here was not based on any one in particular that I am aware of._

* * *

After a few hours of shared, round-table talks about everything from gluten-free, animal-free food to the workings of one's aura, to seemingly every other form of rather vague and nebulous interpersonal topic under the sun (or Light-Bringer, as it was called by some of the attendees), the congregation broke up and made a meal of simple greens collected from the forest, as well as some mashed insects for a few of the predatory attendees. The cooks made a big deal of the mashed insects having been farmed on a strictly vegetarian diet, though given that insects comprise such a large range of different sizes, shapes and diets, Nick did not think a mixture of purely vegetarian insects was unusually special or unique. Still, he was grateful for the snack.

After the meal, many of the group decided to hold a meditation/prayer circle and invited everyone to participate. Judy and Nick bowed out and told Heather that it was getting to be time for them to go to the station if they were to get a train to Bunnyburrow. Heather respected their opting out and thanked them for coming. She gave Judy and Nick a lengthy hug. Judy half-expected to see Heather plant a kiss on Nick, but it never happened.

 _I guess it is just friends_. She thought.

Judy and Nick, though sore all through their lower extremities, marched down the road and got to the train station after little more than a half hour of walking. It probably would have gone faster if they were not already so worn from the hike. Nick found a bench on the platform and immediately plopped on it. Judy went to the ticket counter and bought two tickets to Bunnyburrow. She then got over to the bench and plopped right next to Nick.

The train came roughly half an hour later, and both Judy and Nick dragged themselves from the comforting bench and got on the train, finding two seats where they could plop down again and sleep the whole way to Bunnyburrow.

* * *

"Next stop Bunnyburrow. Next stop Bunnyburrow."

The announcement roused Judy from her nap and as she regained awareness of her surroundings she realized that she had nestled herself against Nick, against his chest and under his muzzle, where she could feel his heart beating. She blinked herself awake and righted herself in her seat. Stretching first and then surveying her surroundings, she found her partner leaning his head against the window with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. She smiled and with patience and comfort of shared personal space born of a true friend pushed his tongue up into his mouth. Nick snorted and shook himself awake.

"Our stop," she told him and stood up. Nick followed suit and got up.

After disembarking on the railway platform, Judy spotted her mom and waived. With Bonnie was Mary, one of Judy's litter-mates, as well as Janey, one of Judy's sisters from a younger litter.

It was not surprising that Janey should be there to pick them up. Despite nearly ten years difference in age between Judy and the younger Hopps bunny, the two were very much alike: liberally-minded, enamored with Zootopia, and desirous of making the world a better place. Janey was also quite close to Nick as well. Over the many visits that Nick had made to Bunnyburrow, he had only slowly been accepted as a Hopps family friend, but it was mostly thanks to Janey's willingness to include him in their activities once Judy had introduced him to their home.

All three Hopps does walked out to embrace Judy as she and Nick got off the train.

"Oh Judy, so glad you could come home." Bonnie exclaimed.

"Good to see you Mom. Only three family members here to welcome me, my home-comings must be turning into ordinary occurrences." Judy quipped.

"Well we've all learned to expect something fairly standard," Mary quipped back. " 'Zootopia is amazing, my job is terrific, my partner is great'... oh, and this time he came with you. Hi Nick."

"Hello Mary, you're looking well. Bonnie nice to see you again."

"Likewise Nick." Bonnie shook his paw.

"Hey Nick!" Janey bounded up and wrapped herself around Nick's shoulders and gave him a crushing hug. Judy turned sharply and shooed Janey off. She had no problem with her younger sister being demonstrative and welcoming to Nick, the two got on very well all the times that he had visited, but showing such a display here in public seemed a bit much.

"Good to see you too Janey." Nick replied once the younger Hopps doe let go of his windpipe.

"Well, come on and let's all get back to the burrow." Mary suggested as she reached for Judy and pulled her along. Janey grabbed Nick and pulled him.

* * *

Many things in Judy's life continued to change, but in Bunnyburrow, and specifically the Hopps burrow, the only change was the number of bunnies that crowded the living space. While many of her siblings had by now married and either moved to new burrows with their spouses like Mary, or made burrows on the property to start their new families like Peter, her nieces and nephews remained ever present and numerous in and around the burrow.

Stu Hopps waived to his girls and his fox guest as they drove in on the family pick-up. Janey had been itching to drive them home, but being only fifteen and without a permit it would have been illegal, and despite the relaxed settings of the country, Judy let Janey know that she would cite her sister for violating the law.

"Jude-bug!" Stu said as they pulled up and Judy disembarked. She wrapped him in a warm hug and gave him a kiss.

Once they stood at arms-length again, Stud noticed that Nick was among the group as well and extended a paw. "Nick, hi, nice to see ya'."

"Good to be back Stu. I hope it's not a problem we only gave you a little bit of notice."

"Always glad to have Judy and any friend of hers come visit. Come on in."

This acceptance of Nick had come about only in the past year since the freshly-minted police officer had finished his training at the Academy. Nick had been lucky that Stu had mellowed by constant exposure to Gideon Gray. From what Judy had said in the past, it seemed Stu was by nature a very suspicious rabbit, and prone to distrust foxes in particular. Thankfully, Judy's and Janey's influence - as well as Stu's own business ventures with the Gray family - had softened the old buck's thoughts and temperament when it came to predators.

Inside the Hopps burrow all was a maelstrom of activity. Older bunnies like Bonnie and Stu and young adults like Mary and Judy worked to corral and manage the morass of active and sometimes frenzied younger bunnies. Those at an age in between, like Janey, could either be counted on to mingle among the raucous crowd and establish some semblance of order through physical dominance over the smaller and younger bunnies, or stand among the adults (as Janey herself did) and try to keep order through the authority that came with age. While Stu had to leave and get back to working outside in the fields with several of the stronger rabbits among the adults, Bonnie, Mary and some of the more maternal bunnies worked to keep order inside. For Bonnie and Mary themselves, that meant going to the kitchen to prepare food - no matter how much she made, someone was always still hungry for more.

That left Judy, Nick and Janey to deal with the kits. Fortunately, Janey had a solution.

"Judy, do you think we could get the kits together and tell them a story? That usually calms them down. And they always love your impersonations."

Realizing Nick was here and would see her performance, Judy's ears turned pink and she tried to beg off of that idea.

"Mmm... maybe when it's their bedtime, how about we take them outside for some games."

" _Stories_?" Nick asked with a sly edge to his voice. Judy shied away from him.

"Yeah," Janey replied. "About El-ahrairah, his _owsla_ and the rabbits of Watership Down."

Nick shook his head slowly to indicate that none of these words made any sense to him.

"It's a series of stories about rabbits from before our Evolution," Janey elaborated. "It takes place in times when we went about on four paws and were hunted for our meat. There's a whole ancient language _'Lapine'_ that goes with it. That's where the word _owsla_ comes from."

Nick nodded to show that he was following, but this was all new to him and clearly it was all still over his head. As Janey was explaining this, Judy had waded into the throng of bunnies and was asking who among them was fastest and strongest. As the bunnies began to squabble over over who that was, Janey continued her explanation with Nick.

"The stories are really wonderful. They're about this clever rabbit named El-ahrairah, and the other clever rabbits that take after him: the best ones are Hazel and Hyzenthlay, but Bigwig and Blackberry and Fiver... they're pretty good too... OH, and Dandelion. I'm named for him."

"You got your middle name because of the flower, not the character, Janey." Judy admonished. Janey responded by sticking out her tongue.

Nick still reeled. A lot of names and terms had been thrown his way, and without context he had no place in his mind to anchor this new information. Judy came to the rescue.

"Janey, why don't you take one of the old story books and walk Nick through one of the early stories. Get him grounded. Maybe later we can tell a story and he could do the male voices."

"But reading always diminishes the stories. Hearing them spoken is the only way to really learn it."

"I agree hearing is better than reading, but it would take a lot of long stories to get Nick up to speed. Better to give him a book and explain it... maybe he can add something to the story we tell later. You always said you like them more when others are adding to the tale."

Judy then assembled all of her nieces and nephews and got the to follow her as she made for the door and led them outside to race and determine who among them was stronger, faster, etc. In the meantime Janey grabbed Nick by the paw to take him over to one of the cubbies in the wall.

* * *

Roughly an hour later, and with a lot of explanations from Janey, Nick had a bit of background into the world that Janey and Judy were describing.

"Okay, so remember," Janey reminded him, "the world is made by Frith, and to the rabbits back then he was the sun and brought all good things, so you have to refer to him as 'Lord Frith' in the story. And Prince Rainbow is one of Lord Frith's underlings who hates El-ahrairah and always makes trouble for him."

"Right, and 'El-ah-rare-rah', did I pronounce that right?"

Janey nodded.

"Okay, El-ahrairah is the prince of all rabbits, but he's also kind of like a spirit who inspires rabbits after he died."

"He didn't die."

"Right, he just went to spend more time with the Black Rabbit."

"The Black Rabbit of Inle. You have to remember the full title."

"'The Black Rabbit of Inle', got it. And that means he had to stay in that warren in a place kind of like the Underworld."

"Yep, and then long after the time of El-ahrairah, the rabbits of Sandleford had to leave their warren to avoid disaster, and they got to Watership Down, which they had to protect from the evil General Woundwort."

"Uh-huh. And their chief rabbit was called Hazel. And he was chief because their warren was founded mostly by rabbits who weren't in the _owsla_ from Sandleford, so they thought that the cleverest should be in charge."

"Well Hazel was the cleverest 'buck'." Janey allowed. "But Hyzenthlay was just as much chief as Hazel."

"Right, and Hazel and Hyzenthlay they were mates, isn't that right?"

"Eventually, but not at first. She liked Bigwig because he was the one who led her and nearly a dozen other does out of Woundwort's warren in Efrafa and to Watership Down. _I_ think she chose Hazel as her mate because she wanted a buck who was almost as smart as she was, and Hazel was the only one who was that clever... though Blackberry certainly had a mind for invention."

"Uh-huh," Nick intoned. It had been a lot to process in an afternoon, and he was still thinking about what he had discussed with Chief Boggs. Learning about rabbit folklore was not easy for someone who had not grown up with it and suddenly had to absorb a great deal of it in such a short time.

"So what stories are you and Judy going to tell? I barely got the basics of this world, I don't actually know any of the stories beyond the synopses."

"Well I think we should tell a ghost-type story like El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle. Judy will probably want to tell the story of how Hyzenthlay took charge of the Watership Down warren during one of Hazel's absences. A good story: strong female rabbit, a bit of adventuresome spirit for when she has to protect her warren, but I always feel like it needs something else. That's why I like to throw in new wrinkles and make Judy tell the stories with new twists. Sometimes I like to hear how it happened for different characters like Fiver or Silver. Blackberry and Dandelion are also a lot of fun, but Clover and Hyzenthlay I think are the best. The hardest ones to tell stories about are the more minor characters like Speedwell and Groundsel."

"Right. And did you say earlier that you like to add in brand new characters?"

"For our own stories that don't conflict with the canon, sure. I like stories about other warrens entirely, but they still have all of the same kinds of heroism. You seriously never heard of any of these stories from Watership Down?"

"Nope, my dad used to tell me some stories about brave and cunning foxes when I was younger, but none of them ever had much to do with rabbits. Then after he left, my Mom kind of stopped telling me those stories."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Janey came over and gave Nick a hug. Being on his knees, since he wanted to be close the same level as the bookahelves, Nick was close to the right height for the little, teenage rabbit to hug him.

"What kinds of stories were they?" she asked. "Did they have adventures and danger? Did the characters die?"

Nick grinned. "Well like El-ahrairah, foxes don't die. Sometimes they need to take on a spirit-like form, but they're too clever to be so mundanely 'killed'." He replied with some faux-bragadocio.

"Well in _my_ stories, the Homba - that's what the foxes are called - are no match for the clever ways of El-ahrairah and his kind." Janey retorted.

"Well in _my_ stories, boastful little creatures are often the first that get _eaten_!" Nick responded while playfully pointing holding a claw in front of Janey's nose. She blew air at him and he flinched. She then came forward and sat near him.

"Tell me one of your stories." She again gave her demand in her kind tone.

"What right now? After all the stuff we just discussed with El-ahrairah and Hyzenthlay?"

"I wanna hear the kinds of stories you have. I think someone who can tell good stories and make others want to be good through what they hear will always be able to make the world a better place."

"Well you are _definitely_ a Hopps bunny," Nick replied. "Okay, let me think for a minute."

* * *

It had been a while since Nick had heard one of his Dad's stories. After his mom stopped telling them he had done his best to dredge them up from his memory. None of them were written anywhere - at least he could never remember his Dad ever reading from a book when he told Nick these stories. Having spent all day in the forest, Nick's thoughts turned to one of the stories that included woods, and in particular one that he remembered very clearly because his mother had always thought it was too mature for a six-year-old fox kit.

"Well, one of the stories I remember most clearly was of a wandering fox. He was said to be very old. So old that his back bent and his tail dragged on the ground behind him. His tail had been dragging so long that it seemed brown from all the soil it had accumulated. Some who encountered this fox thought that he must be an itinerant farmer, and that his tail was really a farm where he grew all of his food."

Janey snickered and Nick returned the grin.

"Yeah, that bit always made me laugh too. It's how I remember it so clearly. Anyway, this fox wandered through a village one night and was surprised to see so many young, grown villagers, but so few kittens among them. Though he presented a very innocuous and harmless image, many of the animals in the village were fearful of this strange creature and hid the few kittens away. The old fox went about the village asking if any would give him shelter for the evening, but they were all so fearful that they shuttered their doors, scurried into their burrows, and hid."

Janey's face fell to hear this. When she tried to picture the poor old fox the first face she pictured was Nick, old, gray and bent, and not given shelter by any animal.

"The night began to approach, and the skies grew dark, and the old fox looked about thinking he would have to spend another night sheltered by the boughs of a tree, but as he made his way to the edge of the village, one kindly porcupine called to him and invited the old fox to spend the night in his burrow. The old fox was very grateful and said that he had nothing to offer the kind porcupine in turn. So the porcupine asked if he knew of any way to prevent spirits from taking kittens away. Quite naturally this intrigued the cunning old fox... did I mention he was cunning?" Nick asked with a teasing grin that said he felt it should have been obvious that the fox was cunning. Janey snickered.

"So the cunning old fox asked to hear what the porcupine meant by this, and the porcupine told him that the village was cursed by a wicked snake demon that slithered down from the forest late in the night. It moved without sound and was unafraid of fire for it could not burn, and unafraid of water, for it could not drown. Earthen walls did not slow its movement, and no door seemed to be able to keep it from entering a burrow and taking a kitten away without a sound. Every night the parents of kittens throughout the village would kiss their kittens good night, and pray to whatever gods they held sacred that their kittens would be there in the morning. Most of those prayers seemed to be answered... every week or so, one of those prayers was ignored."

"And you heard these stories as a kit? Didn't it freak you out."

"A little at first, but if you let me continue I'll show you why I felt emboldened instead of afraid."

"Sorry, go ahead."

"Okay, so the porcupine regaled the fox with the sad fact about the terrorizing spirit that had taken so many kittens from the village. He also told the fox that the animals of the village had consequently grown to distrust any animals they did not recognize, hence their cold reception to him. The porcupine had no wife and no children, so he felt no qualms about helping the fox. So the fox told him.

'Tonight I shall draw the creature to me.'

'How could you do such a thing?' the porcupine asked.

'I am more than just an old fox, dear friend.' He replied with a crafty smile.

That night, as the shadows fell, and the moon rose in the sky, a cold mist seemed to role down from the hills, around the trees, lifting the moisture from the ground, and piercing everything with a bitter cold. As it did, there came with it a most horrible phantasm... a long, white snake with black, shadowy eyes and a wide mouth that it kept sealed as it moved. It made for the village, slithering through the streets, seeking which kitten it would devour tonight. As it moved, it flicked its tongue and caught a new scent."

Nick flicked out his tongue and Janey giggled.

"It was new, earthy - perhaps from gifts for a newborn kitten. Gifts among the villagers were necessarily earthy since there was precious little in the way of trade for a place so remote. And gifts meant celebration, guests - and perhaps the birth of a new kitten. The demon followed the scent and came upon the burrow of the porcupine."

Janey shivered slightly but decided to make it more dramatic to give Nick encouragement that he was indeed making the story tense - which he was. Nick caught what she was doing and smiled as he continued. He narrowed his eyes to make the tone seem more sinister.

"'If you are not just a fox, what are you then?' the porcupine asked. As he did, he felt the air turn cold, and the few candles he had in his burrow began to flicker and dim. He looked about frantically. On the nights when the demon had come, this was what had preceded the sound of crying and screaming by villagers who rushed to their kitten's room and found it empty.  
'The demon has come, if you can do anything, go to the village and stop it before a kitten is taken!' the porcupine shrieked.  
The fox remained unmoving and smiled slyly. 'No need,' and he seemed to look passed the frantic porcupine. His eyes and fur began to grow white and shimmer with an ethereal glow. And the fox spoke in a distant and in-animal way. 'It has come to us.'"

Now Janey needed no exaggeration in her shivers.

"The snake demon passed through the wall, drawn to the earthen smell of the fox. But when it had entered the room, it found no earthenware gifts of celebration, no snoozing villagers drunk from celebration, or bassinets with stirring kittens. Only a humble porcupine, and the specter of a white fox that had locked eyes with the intruding demon.  
The snake slunk back, keeping its gazed fixed on the fox spirit. Sensing it could be a trap, the snake made a feint to attack the fox, then slithered back the way it came as quickly as its will could direct it. Rather than pursue it, the fox stayed where he was, and only after a few minutes did he begin to relax. The light from the candles began to rise again, and all seemed to calm - except of course for the poor porcupine who now seemed just as terrified of his fox guest as he had of the snake demon that he had only just seen with his own eyes. As the porcupine regained his breath, he rounded on his guest, still with a look of terror, and in a stuttering voice demanded to know who he was."

Janey had become quite engrossed now. She lay on her belly with her elbows propping her head, and her large feet bobbing back and forth on a fulcrum made by her knees. She caught her ears with her feet and began to squeeze with her toes.

"The fox, whose body became red again in the light of the candles, related that he was born of a magical clan that could transform from mere foxes to ethereal spirits with great power over the earth. Where they walked, demons feared to tread, and when they grew incensed, their powers seemed almost without limit. This fox, who went by the name of Kitsuno, was an unusual case. Rather than dwell with the other members of his clan in the forest and make mischief for demons and outlaws that hid there, Kitsuno had taken an oath to protect animals who lived near the edges of his woods. He had taken to wandering the land in the guise of a beggar, choosing to help those who would be kind to him though he looked dirty, bedraggled and altogether undesirable as company. He reasoned that those who could discern his good nature were worthy of his compassion and aid. He said as much to his porcupine host."

Janey remained enthralled, as Nick could tell from her grinning with her large front teeth on her lip and looking at him expectantly for more.

"The porcupine host told Kitsuno that he should use his powers to protect the rest of the village. And when Kitsuno told his host that the rest of the village had consigned themselves to the mercy of the demon for refusing to harbor him, the porcupine, whose name was Quill, spoke angrily to his guest.  
'Who was it do you think that taught old Quill to be kind and see the good nature in you?'  
Kitsuno saw the wisdom in what Quill told him, and resolved that indeed he would help the whole village. But he would wait first for the villagers to ask it of him. So that left Quill to go and tell the rest of the village what he had seen and how it was in their interest that Kitsuno should stay and help protect them."

"Sounds like you prefer the solitary hero, huh?" Janey interjected.

"We all have an archetype," Nick conceded. "Anyway, Quill was not the strong-speaking type, and he did not have a very high standing in the neighborhood, but he was friendly and he was one to listen to if he deigned to speak at all. When he told the other villagers about Kitsuno and what the fox was capable of, they were understandably unsure. Afterall, Kistuno was a stranger, and a fox to boot. Was Quill really sure he had seen the snake demon chased away by Kitsuno? Was he sure that Kitsuno himself was not the snake demon trying to take up residence in Quill's burrow so he could be closer to the kittens? All of this and more the villagers challenged Quill to prove, and though some sided with Quill and came to submit themselves to Kitsuno's protection, many proud animals who distrusted the wandering fox refused to do so."

"I'm sensing a bit of personal history in this." Janey stated.

"No more interruptions from the audience, please." Nick ground out with (mostly) mock annoyance. Janey smiled her guilty smile and nodded for him to continue.

"Kitsuno went among the villagers who had decided to ask for his help and spent some time in the presence of their kittens. Many of the parents were afraid, but allowed him to do as he would. He told them all that it was important that when the demon came, for the demon _would_ come again, that they should make noise to alert others to the danger. He went to the blacksmith and asked for whatever old pots the blacksmith had been mending. Kitsuno gave one rusted old pot and a wooden spoon to a young rabbit, and asked her to beat on it - once on the base, then twice on the sides. The rabbit hit tenderly at first, and when Kitsuno told her to be more forceful she was. The first blow was a sharp ring, the second two were deeper echos. The sounds were remarkably similar to the sounds of Kitsuno's own name. And so the villagers learned that the din of metal that echoed the fox guardian's name would call him to their aid."

Janey's eyes went wide and she nodded for more.

"That night, as the village slumbered, and an itinerant fox rested in the home of a kind porcupine, the demon snake ventured to abduct another kitten. This time the snake demon came to the far end of the village, hoping that the fox spirit would be at the opposite end and would not be able to sense it in time. And so it would have succeeded, if the burrow it chose to enter had not been that of the rabbit kitten who had learned first how to call for help."

Janey almost clapped, but restrained herself so that Nick would continue.

"The earth was no barrier to the demon, who descended through it as if there were no less than a hole leading straight to the bedroom shared by all the bunnies. When the demon came, pale and foul, and seemingly conjured from the depths of a nightmare and reeking of death and decay, all of the bunnies instantly awoke to his presence and grew dreadfully frightened. They had seen the demon once before, when it had carried off their youngest kitten, now it seemed ready to take another. In their fear, which stiffened their joints and froze them to their bones, the parents forgot to call for help, but merely stared wide-eyed at the monstrous being that rose itself above them, bearing frightful fangs. The little kitten, who had learned to bang the pot, grabbed the metal object and struck it at its base once and then the sides twice. She repeated this motion a second time and drew the eye of the snake demon. The little kitten was dreadfully frightened, but what was there for her to do but continue to call for help as she had been told? She looked at the pot and repeated the motion again and again. One loud drum-like bang like a 'Ki', and two duller sounds like 'Su', 'No'."

Janey was breathing heavily and blinking rapidly to make sure she did not miss what would come next.

"The demon approached the little bunny that made such a cacophany, when suddenly another glow entered the burrow. The fox spirit came upon the snake demon, and the family of rabbits now seemed to shake like trees in a windstorm. The snake demon, seeing it was a trap, but that it had a clear path to its intended target, lunged at the young rabbit kitten. And the helpless little rabbit could do nothing but hold the pot between herself and doom..."

Nick let the story hang for a moment and Janey switched to a fetal position where her large feet could reach the floor and the thumping of her legs could be heard clearly. Nick nodded and continued.

"...and what should happen, but that the demon should break its fangs upon the pot! The fell creature howled a piercing, wrenching scream. The fox spirit grasped the demon about its neck and hoisted it through the earth, vanishing and leaving all in the burrow as if neither he nor the monster were ever there. Though the rabbits were frightened, the chase given by the youngest kitten inspired them all to flee the burrow and see what had become of their tormentor and their savior above ground.

Out in the village street, two apparitions wrestled and fought under the pale light of large moon. The snake demon, toothless and wild in its fury struck at the glowing fox, trying to get the old predator locked into his coils, where even a spirit could be strangled. The fox however, neatly dodged the strikes and avoided getting too close, but he never left the snake so much space that it could attempt to flee.  
At last, the fox spirit struck at the snake with something sharp in his paw. He plunged it straight into the demon's once-fanged head and brought its attack to a screeching halt. The demon writhed and screamed a blood-curdling scream, and then was silent. Its pale skin suddenly became green and its body heavy. The mighty beast slumped, fell to the earth, and stirred no more."

Janey let out a sigh of relief and when Nick did not speak further, she press him to finish.

"What happened next?"

"Well," Nick now spoke slower and without as much excitement. "As the snake demon's body became real again, the skin began to whither away like wood in a fire. In only a few moments the whole of the snake was without any form, and the ashes of its body drifted away with the wind."

"Kind of a morbid poetic theme there... keep going." Janey interjected.

"Only the sharp object that had killed the monstrous snake remained. The little bunny was the first to go forward and examine it, and she found that it was short, stout quill from a porcupine. She picked it up before her parents could admonish her not to and returned it to Quill, the porcupine who she was sure had provided it. During this transaction, Kitsuno's form changed from an ethereal spirit-like apparition to the elderly, dusty-looking fox that the villagers were more familiar with. When they questioned him about why he had used the quill to vanquish the snake demon, he told them that his powers were greatest when those he protected gave him aid - in this case, the hospitality of the porcupine, and the alert from the young bunny had served to arm and direct his attacks, and to defend them from the monster. He told them that it was that trust in him and each other that had turned the demon away and caused it to break its teeth on the pot.

The villagers celebrated Kitsuno's victory with a great feast the next day, but Kitsuno himself was found missing. When asked where the guest of honor had gone, Quill told them that he had been admonished to take heart to what Kitsuno had demonstrated. Not his martial prowess or magical powers, but his willingness to help those that chose to stand together and welcome strangers. And though Kitsuno did not share in their festivities and was never seen again, and though some of the more distrustful villagers would afterwards say that perhaps he had been in league with the snake demon, Quill and those that had shown some kindness and trust to the stranger Kitsuno learned to strengthen the village further henceforth through their unity and welcomed strangers with open paws."

Nick seemed to be done, and Janey gave some appreciative applause.

"Were all of your stories morality tales?" she asked Nick.

"Most had some lesson about being stronger as a pack, or valuing unity over distrust," he admitted. "I'm sure I could find one that was just about adventure, but it would have been longer to remember, and a lot longer to tell I would think."

"You should tell one of those to the kittens later today."

Nick gave a wry twist of his mouth. "Maybe when I've had some more time to recall the stories and get them back in my head. They're all a little scattered."

"Didn't your Mom or Dad ever write them down?"

Nick shook his head. "They came from my Dad's imagination, I had to store them in my own too."

"Well I think you should help tell a story with me and Judy this evening," Janey insisted. As she spoke she reached for a book from the shelf. "Here, I think the kittens would love this one. Why don't you read it with me and then lets practice some of the parts."

Nick skimmed the pages quickly. The language was not too compelling or difficult. He guessed that Janey's excitement must be more in how the story would be told than in the actual content. That meant there would have to be a serious acting component to go with rendering the story to the kittens. Nick sucked in air through his teeth at the prospect of needing to be able to tell a story that he had only just now laid eyes on. He could craft one, but fitting himself to a story rendered by someone else was not a familiar activity for him. When he tried to defer direct involvement, claiming that he could do no justice since he did not have enough grounding in rabbit folklore, Janey insisted that he was nonetheless a great story teller and therefore necessary to the performance. After some paw-twisting - figuratively and literally - Janey convinced Nick to practice with her enough so that he could contribute voices for a least of few of the major supporting characters.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, after Nick had spent another hour with Janey practicing lines and learning one particular story inside and out, Nick decided to do something useful around the burrow. Being around Judy for as long as he had, the fox had developed an almost impulsive drive to help others like her, and since he was roughly twice the size and about twice as strong as most of the rabbits on the Hopps Clan Farm, he found himself compelled to help out with the heavy lifting work in the field.

During his earlier visits while on leave from the Academy or an odd weekend when Judy invited him to accompany her, he had been reluctant to work after so many days either in heavy training or doing active police work. After so many visits, and seeing how much help he had been on the few occasions when Judy had somehow tricked him into helping, Nick now found that he actually enjoyed being able to render some aid to Stu and his sons and brothers out in the fields and in the garden. It had been implicitly agreed that Nick would not work at the stand where they sold much of their produce. Being a fox in a community of mostly bunnies and other animals that were generally smaller than him still made several rabbits rather nervous. Even Stu and some of his timid brothers had only through constant exposure learned to have little to no fear of Nick. While this brought him some disappointment, Nick was glad enough to focus his efforts on the background tasks of helping lift crates of vegetables, move heavy material to and from the fields, and help others whenever a great feat of strength was required.

"Oh that you lived here and married one of my daughters Nick, I could retire and be a happy grandpa rabbit," Stu liked to say. He had been saying that Nick should be on the farm for over a year now since work always went faster and was less arduous when Nick rendered aid. The 'daughter' comment had eventually slipped in, though no one knew how, and had become a part of Stu's statement such that he did not seem able to change it. The comment neglected the fact that Nick could not have kittens with any of Stu's daughters - for all of the advancements in society among the many species of Zootopia and its surrounding countryside, biology was a hard-stop to cross-breeding between predators and prey animals. Nick would just listen to Stu when he heard this comment, shake his head with a knowing smile, and continue on with the work.

While Nick and the other rabbits toiled in the field, Judy played with the kittens and allowed the does to work around the burrow. Though it was mostly her sisters, mom and her aunts who kept to the burrow and her brothers, dad and uncles in the fields, the work was not strictly segregated. Most days a few of her sisters would go out and help in the field, and some of her brothers preferred staying closer to the burrow, but the sexual disparity of the two locations did seem to hold in most cases, as was the case around many burrows through the Tri-Burrows area.

Judy did not really esteem working in the field, though she did enjoy tending the smaller gardens where more low-yield, Hopps-particular vegetables and flowers were grown. She liked to go in there at times with the kittens and just feel comforted by the bright colors of the flowers, fruits and vegetables and maybe take a small snack from among the foliage. On this particular occasion, the kittens demanded a story about Zootopia, but Judy was of a mind to reminisce and instead decided to share a story she had been told as a kitten.

"Gather around everyone, and I'll tell you the story of Hyzenthlay and of the Bat and Shrew," Judy announced. Many of the kittens scrambled excitedly to claim a spot in the garden that was shaded by the tall sunflowers. One or two of the bunnies actually gave a mild groan because they wanted a story with more adventure. The Bat and Shrew story did not really have much to offer in that regard. Still, it was a story, and it was nice to hear Judy tell it.

Once all the kittens were settled in a semicircle around Judy, she began.

"Now this takes place at a time when winter was settling in on the Downs where the Watership rabbits dwelt. The air grew cold, and the dry soil grew hard with the frost. The rabbits began to huddle in their burrows. Back then, rabbits wore no clothes and lit no fires. The only warmth in their world came from the blessed light of Lord Frith, and the contact between fellow rabbits. Some other animals had begun to venture into the burrows and share their warmth with the rabbits. Among them was a shrew named Scraper, and he earned that name because he always seemed to scrape the trunks of trees with his claws when he went climbing to get at insects."

The kittens all whispered to each other excitedly.

"Now this particular winter was quite hard, and the cold wreaked havoc outside with sharp winds, bitter cold, and lots of snow and sleet. Even Bigwig, the captain of the Owsla who thought that his burrow should be his own was relieved to have a family of field mice that huddled against him and so warmed his burrow."

The kittens laughed, imagining the tough captain of the Watership owsla and the hero of so many of their adventures, huddled into a tight burrow, and serving as a piece of furry furniture to a family of little mice. Judy allowed them a few more chuckles and then continued with her story.

"And as the winter months passed, and sojourns to _silflay_ became less frequent, some of the animals began to grow weak and anxious. Scraper in particular began to grow desperate to get up the trees he loved and capture insects to calm his hunger. Hyzenthlay saw as much and with Clover decided that something should be done for the miserable little shrew.  
'Would ground worms satisfy your hunger? Or perhaps a crystallized bug' Clover asked. She referred to the little beetle pupae that were in the ground in hard shells, waiting for the turn of the season. 'We could try digging for you.'  
Hyzenthlay was going to remind Clover, who you'll remember was a hutch rabbit, that the ground was frozen and too hard to dig through. And that digging up warm earth to expose cool earth would make them all colder in turn. She did not have too, the little Scraper shook his head and told Clover it was not good.  
'My teeth are sharp, but my mouth too small for such fare, and even if that were not so, we could scarcely be able to find a bug in the walls of the burrow. The earth in here is packed too hard.'  
And so the winter dragged on, the hunger tore at the animals like the claws of the _elil_ , and even poor old Blackavar grew too weak to move, while one of the kittens from that fall just before winter grew too weak to eat and eventually perished of hunger."

The kittens all looked about sadly, but they knew that such were the times in which their ancestors lived. They too had lost family in stillbirths and some of their elders had died in recent years. There were so many rabbits that it was hard to go more than half a year without hearing that someone you knew had either passed or birthed at least one stillborn kitten; such was life for rabbits.

Judy continued her story.

"At last, the snows began to melt, the clouds parted, and the sun shown through. Hazel, as the elected chieftain, emerged from the warren first, hobbling slightly due the wound her received when he had saved Clover and her friends from the hutch. Satisfied that the weather had turned warmer, he scraped at a patch of ground and found some grass. Like the good and considerate leader he was, Hazel returned the burrow, where his mate and equal Hyzenthlay had assembled their kittens and the other kittens of the small warren to go and take a few mouthfuls of the grass. Hyzenthlay directed Hazel to go back into the burrow and keep his leg from the cold, which made his limp far worse and caused him agony. She, Bigwig, Clover, Blackberry and the other members of the warren stood watch all around the patch, looking about to make sure none of the _elil_ decided to make an attack.

As this took place, the little shrew Scraper made out of the burrow and attempted to climb the tree. With the ice now melting, the bark was slippery, and the surface of the ice on the tree was smoothed somewhat by the steady trickle of melting water descending from the boughs, creating a surface without purchase even for Scraper's sharp claws. Seven times the little shrew tried to climb the tree, and each time was a failure. Finally the kittens had eaten all the grass, and the rabbits shuttled everyone back to the burrow. Scraper saw that his efforts were in vain for now and returned as well: cold, damp and hungrier than ever."

The kittens looked at each other attentively. Some of the older and more self-aware kittens looked at the opulent garden in which they were seated and realized that there was much they had to be thankful for compared with the animals of long ago. All about them was food that would be stored for the winter and provide them with plenty.

Judy continued.

"After a time, the snows melted away and with the coming of spring the plants and other creatures and living things that had left during he winter at last returned. For Hyzenthlay, her mate, and the other rabbits of the Owsla it was a time to at last eat after so long with so little. It was also a time pay close attention to the young kittens as they played on the grass. In the midst of this time of mirth and activity, Hyzenthlay noticed an odd change in Scraper, who had at last managed to find purchase on the bark of the trees near the warren and was busy climbing and searching for insects on which to feed. Hyzenthlay had noticed that as he did this, other creatures had come to take advantage of the bloom in life. The bats had returned and cruised the skies, sending shrill peeps and whistles as they hunted for the flies and other airborne pests that so annoy rabbits.

'I fear for Scraper,' Hyzenthlay confided to Hazel. 'He keeps climbing the trees to get at the insects, but now with the bats returned he may get into trouble to be in their roosts.'

Hazel was attentive to her concerns, and agreed that they should speak to Scraper before he got into trouble.

'What if you should climb the tree as a bat returns to shelter among the leaves?' Hazel asked of the little shrew. 'The bats have bodies near your same size, and with their wings they could knock from the tree and to your death.'

'If I cannot climb the tree I will be without food. The insects on the ground take to the wing and fly away before I can make a meal of any of them. If I am to get enough food, the bugs in the trees are what I must eat. They are slower, and most cannot fly. So I must climb for my food,' Scraper insisted. 'Besides, I just need to eat before nightfall when the bats wake up. They will be no more the wiser.'

'It isn't just you and your safety,' Hyzenthlay told him. 'You're having an influence on the other shrews. They're climbing trees too and they don't have your talent or strength to hold to the bark.'

But Scraper would not listen and continued to climb and search for insects. And as he continued his quests, and others joined in with him, it came to pass that several young shrews fell from the trees. One died of the fall instantly when it lost its footing and fell a hundred-times its own height. Another was attacked by a large bird that wanted to take the bugs for itself and was knocked from a high branch. When it hit the ground, the shrew's back was broken, and the poor creature lingered for days in intense pain before it too at last died."

Several of the kittens held each other closely. Judy did not enjoy this part of the story, but she needed to give the kittens some warning about going too high when one did not have the experience.

"Then it came to pass that one night, Scraper himself had climbed to the high branches of a tree wherein a group of bats were nesting. And as they stirred from their slumber and were ready to hunt for the evening, one of the bats espied Scraper in their midst. This one bat shrieked loudly and roused the rest of the flock, and they batted their wings violently, driving the climbing shrew from their nest."

As a fun addition, Judy hopped around the gathered kittens, waving her arms and batting at the kittens as if she had wings. She ruffled a few ears and got a few laughs.

"So quickly did Scraper back away that he lost his grip on the bark, slipped, and fell to the ground."

Judy stumbled back and allowed herself to fall tail first to the ground, where she sprawled out as if she were in pain. Some of the younger kittens who had not heard the story before gasped and covered their mouths in surprise.

"The fall did not kill poor Scraper," Judy continued, "but he was unable to move after he regained consciousness. Several other shrews came to help him up, but his back was in such pain that there was no moving him from where he lay. For a week he lay there in pain, and was most fortunate that there were no _elil_ about that would have eaten him. Hyzenthlay felt pity for the little creature, and spoke with one of the other shrews, a female named Mossflower. She was a good climber, but had more sense often times than poor Scraper.

'He will surely starve,' moaned poor Mossflower. She thought very highly of Scraper and had desired that they should be mates. Now in his weak condition it seemed hopeless."

The kittens felt sad and expressed it through sorrowful faces and a few tears among the young does. Still, Judy was not finished.

"After the week of immobility, Scraper was able to begin moving again, though he did so painfully, with a stiff limp and an uncoordinated motion. For a while it hurt immensely and it never completely stopped hurting, but little by little he regained the ability to walk. Now however he could not climb trees, and now the lack of ready insects near the ground made him hungry. Many of the insects that were above ground had wings and could fly out of his reach. Those in the trees had been less prone to fly and easier to snatch. Try as he might, Scraper could not chase the flying bugs, and in his weakened state he could not dig as much as he needed to supplement his diet. And soon he began to despair that he would surely die.

...but..."

With the hanging conjunction, the interest of some of the drifting kittens was reestablished and they listened anew. Seeing that her audience had returned from the brink of drifting away and losing focus, Judy got back to the story.

"Hyzenthlay had been watching Scraper closely, and she saw that wherever he walked, his clumsy gait would cause him to knock into grass, flowers and other plants and it drove bugs and small winged creatures up into the sky. Most not very high, but well above the ground and away from the ambling shrew. She had also watched the bats when dusk and twilight came and how they swooped about overhead trying to get fleeting insects higher in the sky. She assumed they would benefit from having an animal who could scare the insects towards them, and it gave her an idea.

Hyzenthlay spoke with Mossflower, who agreed to speak to the bats on her behalf. She proposed that the bats would shuck some of the crawling insects from their roost in order that Scraper would not go hungry, and in turn he would go about the fields to scare up insects on the ground, driving them into the sky, where the bats could pick them off.

The bats agreed to these terms after they saw how well Scraper could blunder through the grass in his ambling walk, and drive little gnats and flies from the ground. The bats had more food than ever before through Scraper's work, and in turn, they used their clawed wings to brush obtrusive, crawling insects from their tree to the ground, where Scraper had easy access to them and ate well.

And so you see kits," Judy brought the story to a close. "It may be in our interest to climb high and try to do things on our own, but when we find the unexpected ways in which we help others and ask for help in turn, we can work together to make things possible where it would otherwise be hopeless."

The kittens clapped and asked for more, but Judy waived them off.

"Tonight, then maybe your Uncle Nick will join in and we can tell you one together."

Later that night, Nick indeed did join in with Judy and Janey to tell the kittens the story of El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle. While Janey took the part of the champion El-ahrairah, and Judy voiced the hero-chieftain's captain Rabscuttle, Uncle Nick adopted the voice of the dark rabbit of the underworld. With the dripping dark tones of Nick's voice in their ears, many of the kittens needed a little cuddling and reassurance from some of the adults to remind them that they were home and safe and need fear no one.

One thing was agreed by all of the kittens: Uncle Nick would be involved in telling stories for a long time to come. When Janey informed them of stories of fox heroes who guarded animals of small villages of animals from demons, the kittens refused to let him sleep until he promised to tell them a story the next day.

And so it went.

* * *

 _Having not read many stories about the mystical_ Kitsune _from Japanese literature I was fairly unencumbered mentally when I chose to write Nick's story. With the_ Watership Down _-derived stories I am a little more beholden to some of the names from the canon set down by Richard Adams, but I tried to make something a little more my own._

 _I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. You practically got three stories for the price of one (Nick's fantasy hero story, Judy's clever solution story, and more about their own world)._

 _Please review and continue reading._


	5. Chapter 5

_Welcome back. While I am drawn to this story and want to tell you more, I make no promises that there will not be more delays in the future. I have a rather demanding job these days and writing this story is one of the ways I unwind. That means that some weeks I will not have such recourse and you, my good readers, will find your patience taxed. Trust that I do not let this story sit idle from loss of interest, only because of the intrusion of my real life._

 _I also want you, the good reader, to remember that each of my characters and every chapter I write are all an integral part of this tale, and they all mean something to what the characters and thinking and feeling. I did a poor job of setting that out in the last chapter, but those stories were representative of the psychology of our two main characters and were meant to give some insight into what they are thinking and feeling._

 _Also, it gave me a chance to introduce Janey Hopps, albeit only minimally. Watch for her in the future._

 _Here in this chapter those feelings among the main characters start pushing each of them in different directions and you will see what has been building for a while start to bubble over._

* * *

"Nick I meant to ask: what is it about the Wild that fascinates you so?" Judy asked. "You stayed with those officers for a long while. You must have been asking all kinds of questions."

While Judy put this question to Nick, the two of them were on the afternoon train from Bunnyburrow back to the City. They were sitting together, and Judy was eager to engage in some conversation with her work partner and best friend after having not interacted with much while at the farm. Judy was glad that Nick felt so comfortable with her family that he could just go among them without needing to stay by her side all the time. Still, she had rather missed him while they were both engaged in separate activities. Now that they were on the train and sitting together, she had a chance to talk to him.

It was some consolation for Nick to know that Judy did not suspect what he had been talking about with Martin, Grizz and Chief Boggs. She would know at some point, but she was not yet ready to deal with the possibility of him looking for other employment. Still, she was right in that he was in a way drawn to the Wild. He made a long exhale before taking another breath to answer.

"When I was a kit, my dad used to tell me stories about the Wild... like the ones I was telling Janey yesterday when she and I were reading up on your guys's folklore. My dad used to say that it was our _true home_ , where all animals began. I guess it helped that our last name _was_ Wilde. He said we were the kinds of foxes who commanded our own destinies. I mean he left out the part about how in the _actual_ wild, the stronger, predatory ones eat and kill the weaker ones, but the sentiment was still a good one: That we ought to be judged by our actions and not the color of our fur or the shape of our teeth."

Judy went wide-eyed. _Nick's dad had told him such stories?_

"Wow. Given what you were like when I first met you and how down-to-earth your mom is I never would have guessed."

"Well that desire to be a member of a pack, and be included had to come from someone, somewhere," Nick pointed out. "And like you said, not really in my mom's character. Anyway, dad used to tell me stories - fantastical stories - about the things that happened in The Wild. Sometimes, in fact _a lot_ of the time, the story centered around some heroic fox who came into the story misjudged by others, but proved himself - and sometime 'her'self when my mom was in the room - to be a great hero who was worthy of high regard. But these foxes were always some kind of blend of body and spirit. They could shift between one and the other as easy as putting on or taking off clothes. One instant a fox had a body as mortal as yours and mine - sometimes a bit older - and then in the next instant they took the form of a spirit with great power to animate the world around them, and the ability to cheat death. It was kind of fun - the idea that we were somehow immortal, and the clever ones could cheat the afterlife in a way."

"Wow, that _is_ fantastical."

"It helped me get through the rough parts of being fox kit in the Big Jungle."

"Could you tell me one of the stories?"

Nick lay back and groaned. He wanted to share, but he also kind of wanted to relax the rest of the way home. Turning to look at Judy, who now had her innocent, bunny-kitten-like, 'please-eyes', Nick admitted defeat.

"Okay, I'll tell you the one I told to Janey yesterday. I feel pretty good about being able to tell that one, and it should take me the rest of the trip to finish."

"Yay!" Judy squealed, still like a bunny kitten, and for the rest of the ride back to Central Station Nick told her the story of the heroic fox.

* * *

It had been an entertaining trip for Judy, listening to Nick's story, but when they arrived at the station in Zootopia they both agreed they should get to their respective abodes and get ready for work on Monday.

Judy got to her neighborhood, where parts of the street had seen some shops close or get broken into, and in some places a more gentrified cluster of boutiques and establishments had sprung up. Some of the neighborhood kits and cubs ran along the sidewalk, tossing balls at one another as they went. Judy hopped out of the way as they came by, and more than half of the kids waived to her. She waived back and was so distracted that she almost go hit by an okapi that went by on his bicycle.

Just another Sunday afternoon in Zootopia. Not necessarily exciting, but never really lazy.

Judy almost felt like Hyzenthlay coming back to the burrow at Watership Down. True she was going home to an empty burrow with no kittens, but she had the part about Hyzenthlay she respected and admired most: a purpose, a sense of belonging, and an authoritative role.

Upon arriving at her building, Judy heard her neighbors Bucky and Pronk in the middle of one of their typical squabbles over trivial matters. Dissatisfied with having the argument in the apartment, they were out in the hallway where - unfortunately - everyone else was a witness to their arguments as well. As Judy ascended the stairs and came within sight of them, Bucky paused long enough to wave to Judy and give her a smile. Pronk began to launch into a side argument about how Bucky did not pay attention, but when Bucky actually took hold of his husband and turned him to look at their neighbor, Pronk was polite enough to give a quick wave back, though he did not have much of a smile.

Among all of the animals in her building, Judy had gotten along best with these two, though mostly because Bucky had been the pacifier who got Pronk to be nice. It had been a bit of a shock for her to realize that the two of them were actually married. She had no issue with the relationship being one of homosexuality and interspecies coupling, she had simply assumed from all of the arguments that they must have been forced roommates due to the financial constraints of their jobs; that much arguing did not seem to suggest a married couple. She wondered at times how and why they were married and why they stayed together if all they ever seemed to do was argue and debate. Of the two, Bucky was the more sympathetic and friendly to the rest of the neighbors. Often times at night when the sun had set and Judy and the other residents were sorely tempted to tell the squabbling couple to 'just shut up', it was Bucky who would direct the argument into how they were keeping the neighbors (and specifically Judy) awake with all of their carrying-on. That usually necessitated another half hour or so of arguing, but it usually brought the otherwise interminable debates to a stop and left everyone with a modicum of peace and quiet.

"Hey guys, how was your weekend?" Judy asked as she came down the hall in their direction.

"I told you, as soon as we bring it in the hallway then everyone else will want to talk to us." Pronk turned back to Bucky and complained.

"No one _ever_ wants to talk to us because all we do is _argue_ , Pronk." Bucky remonstrated, then he turned back to Judy. "It's been okay Judy. You said you were going to the Wild, were you camped out?"

"No, I was just there for Saturday morning, I spent the rest of the time in Bunnyburrow with my parents."

"Ugh, that's great. Send us the transcripts of all the conversations! We were in the middle of something here." Pronk replied in his typical brusque and antagonistic manner.

Bucky looked at Judy apologetically, but edged his head towards her apartment door. It had become his way of telling her 'you'll win no victories here, better you go home'. Judy had learned through many cases of being dragged into the arguments that when Bucky suggested she back off, it was better for her to heed his advice. She bid them a good afternoon and went into her place. Once she was in, she pulled a large frame from where it leaned against the wall. The frame had slightly smaller dimensions than the door frame, and she fit it in place around the door to make her room as sound-proof as possible to the noises within the building. She was actually relieved that Bucky and Pronk were in the hallway. If it had been next door, the sounds would have come right through the paper-thin walls. She had been witness to almost every degree of argument they ever had: terse, aggressive, screaming and several grades within each of those categories.

Much to her embarrassment she had also been able to hear them in more intimate moments that made her uncomfortable if she saw them again the next day. She understood married couples had their needs, but she really did not care to be made so acutely aware of the particulars.

So Judy settled down at her desk and decided to look over her schedule for the week. She would be back at work tomorrow, and she and Nick would be on patrol near the Central Station, but this time they would be in charge of managing and corralling protests by the Zootopian-First Front. This was a group of dissidents that were opposed to the influx of animals coming from the surrounding countryside. The group was small, but they were vocal, and they were making it clear that they were not interested in ANY new animals coming to Zootopia. Many had called for a ban on travel to and from the surrounding regions that was not for emergency purposes, and some had even objected to ALL contact save for bringing in necessary food. To them, Zootopia belonged to Zootopians, and no matter an individual's species, qualifications, or other particulars, Zootopia belonged _only_ to Zootopians.

Judy could not say that she ever _truly_ hated anyone or anything in her life, but this degree of intolerance was something she found herself _exceptionally_ hard pressed not to despise. She and Nick had come under fire from these and similar groups, usually through a side-street protest, or even a nasty post on the ZPD website about how the "Rabbit and Fox should go back to the forest and hunt each other". The idiocy that an animal needed in order to come to such a conclusion about her and Nick was staggering, but with freedom of speech, sometimes it brought out some of the harshest statements from some of the narrowest minds.

At times like this, Judy was glad to have Nick on her side. When she was given an offer for reinstatement with the ZPD she had made it _explicitly_ clear that the only way that she would come back would be to have Nick admitted to the Police Academy with the promise that he would work as her partner once his training was completed. This had required special recommendations from the Chief and the agreement of a panel of captains from Zootopia, but she had made a great case for how Nick was uniquely qualified due to his innate knowledge of the city, his proven mettle shown in the Missing Mammals case and the conviction of both Leopold Lionheart and Dawn Bellwether, and his being nearer in size to her than any of the officers either in the ZPD or the Academy at the time of his induction. Through her overtures, the brass had given Nick the necessary consideration and now it had paid off in him being made an officer.

Judy never told Nick what she had to go through and the weeks of work in convincing the brass to take him on when he could not, at the time of the request, satisfy all requirements for a cadet or officer; his educational accomplishments in particular were lacking. Some of the captains had suggested just waiting for him to complete the requirements and then revisit this topic. One captain thought Nick would do better as an informant rather than an officer. Many of the captains seemed to entertain that thought for a while, but in the end they had agreed to let him attend the Academy and then transfer to the ZPD as Judy's partner. It did not leave much in the way of alternatives if Nick wanted to work somewhere else, but Judy did her best to make him happy and get him to feel pride in the work that they were doing.  
She felt a bit like Hyzenthlay again to be doing such things - as though she was the legendary rabbit chieftain, taking care of her friends and making sure that they were protected and suitably employed in a worthwhile cause. Hyzenthlay may have never actually helped a fox, but she was driven to always help those closest to her. For Judy, someone close meant Nick.

In the end she had gotten her wish: she was reinstated, Nick was accepted to the Academy, and after achieving top honors he had become her partner; another triumph of the Lionheart Administration's Mammal Inclusion Initiative - about the only good that came from that administration. Now Nick was with her, where they could do right by the city and make the world a better place together.

That last thought always made her smile.

 _Together_.

* * *

Nick was used to walking rather than driving - or being driven - through Zootopia unless he was pressed for time to get somewhere, which he was not at the moment. So he took the afternoon to meander the streets and make his way home. While the talk with Boggs and the officers at Far End was still on his mind, he thought it best to clear his head for a little bit and just feel the hum and beat of his home city. It was a bit like meditating for him - Heather would probably have understood the rationale.

Zootopia was much the same as when he left it early Saturday morning. The spiraling towers up on the hills, the bright reflections of the sun in their many windows that seemed to illuminate the lower streets like a second sun - or at least compensate for the lack of light from the _actual_ sun, which was behind too many of the buildings on the west side. His neighborhood had its regular gaggle of fox, badger, weasel and other small predator kits and cubs that wandered the streets trying to find some way to occupy their time while their parents struggled to make ends meet. Most of the animals in Nick's part of town were there because there was practically nowhere else for them to go. Not that his neighborhood was festooned with criminals or druggies - though there were a few - it just had a general air of being of lower status and carrying a general degree of hopelessness from animals that had often been marginalized by the rest of the city due to their species.

Nick had lived in places like this for most of his life and he tried not to let the malaise get to him. The negative air of these surroundings was one of the reasons he had started pulling cons so many years back in the nicer areas of Zootopia. He had done if for two general reasons: one - it was kind of stupid to con neighbors that had little to nothing and were generally worse off than you yourself - especially if you upset them and had to put up with them nearer to home. To Nick it seemed like something of assured karmaic fall-out that kept order in the neighborhood. Two: richer animals in other parts of town - who could in general be counted on to be suffering from a somewhat guilty conscience - were able to provide Nick with two assets that his home neighborhoods could not. One of course was the money he convinced them to give him, but the other was a kind of hope. Those other animals in general had such brighter outlooks and better dispositions that it made the world seem a bit nicer after taking some time go to the places they frequented and feel their general bonhomie.

As Nick walked down the sidewalk near his place, a small pack of younger animals raced passed him, several of the bolder and more jaded kits sneered at him.

"Watch it guys, it's FF."

"Ooh, FF is here. Better behave or he'll send you to jail."

"Don't mind us FF. Nothing going on here."

The kits then scattered when Nick turned his head in their direction. These kits talked a big game, but when faced down by Nick himself, few were so bold as to stay and run their maws any further. Nick was tall for his species, and he was both fast and strong from all the time he spent doing cons, and from his training at the Academy, but it was his reputation that really frightened this kits.

Nick had earned a fearsome reputation among the animals of his neighborhood a month earlier when he subdued three young punks that were under suspicion of having committed a gang rape. Nick had come across the animals in an alleyway while on his way home from a bar. They were all drunk and were molesting another potential victim. The victim herself had gotten them acting stupid when she pushed one away from her. Nick's intervention had certainly been timely, and it certainly got his blood up going one on three, but the only way to describe the fight was of a fox in a hen house. All three drunks were lightweights at fisticuffs, and Nick made short work of subduing and then arresting them. Not many at the precinct knew of it or cared much, but it was all the neighborhood could talk about for weeks afterward.

A bit of blowback came when it was revealed that one of the perpetrators was from the same block as Nick and had been considered one of the more decent animals among the residents - at least until this incident came to light. Many of Nick's neighbors had grown to distrust Nick after he sent the perp to jail and some suspected that in some way Nick _himself_ was the real cause of that trouble. That grew into concerns that he would soon cause even more trouble in the neighborhood and start sending others to jail if he felt like it. Now the tension had grown so out of control that it seemed only a matter of time before some stupid animal from his neighborhood on Robin Hood Avenue (the 'Hood' as many of its residents called it) decided to make trouble for him.

A lot of the harassment Nick dealt with these days and in the months following his new job was verbal, like the name 'FF'. It had emerged a few months after Nick got out of the Academy. It stood for 'Fuzzy Fox'; for the obvious reason that now he was one of 'The Fuzz', and because it made others feel tough to think of a proven cop as 'soft and fuzzy'. The fact that Nick was a cop _and_ a fox seemed so out of place that most animals tended to avoid him.

Nick got to his apartment building, got in the door, and walked up a few flights of dirty stairs where some of the neighbors were arguing in hallways and in some cases slamming doors. Nick did not pay much attention to it, he had learned from experience and years of listening to these arguments how to distinguish when it was actually dangerous, and when it was just an auditory annoyance. Nick got to his door, got inside, and went about getting things ready for work the next day. He took his equipment out of the cupboards where he kept it stowed and hung it on the hooks near the door so he could grab it and go the next morning. He got to the freezer and found he had one ready-to-eat style meal left.

 _Dinner for tonight._ He thought glumly having had a full weekend of good - if mostly vegetarian - food with the Hopps family.

Nick sat down at his dinner/work table and began to mull over in his head what he had to do regarding Far End. He would need to send in his résumé and try to get some recommendations. As he thought of this little 'musts' he suddenly realized that he truly _wanted_ to get this job, not merely get in the running, not just be considered, but actually _be_ the Liaison-Officer. The issue had been nurtured in his mind when he told the story of Kitsuno to Janey and then Judy, and all of the time he was not actively thinking on this issue, it had been stewing in the back of his mind - gaining substance and taking form. Now that he brought it out in front to look at it closely, he found that he was genuinely excited and hopeful about the possibility of taking the Liaison-Officer position... provided he actually _got_ the job.

 _Probably should to talk to the Chief about it_. He mused.

Nick ate his dinner in silence and found himself later drifting to sleep with dreams of the Wild in his mind, wandering about like an itinerant fox who could conjure the elements with his will and cheat death.

 _The lone watcher. The silent protector._

* * *

Monday morning both Judy and Nick arrived at the precinct at close to the same time, having taken the subway to get in. It was unusual for Nick to arrive so early as he often walked through the neighborhoods around the more gentrified areas of Zootopia on his way to work and enjoyed saying 'hi' to the animals he passed. He had been introduced to the practice of doing this by Judy, who liked to do it herself. For Judy, however, she found that she got stopped by so many bunnies, possums, squirrels and other animals who wanted to meet her, be seen with her, or ask her questions, that she had been tardy to work on one or two occasions, thus she had started to reserve those walks for _after_ work if she still had the energy and time - being Judy, she _always_ had energy, just not always the time.

Though popular from so many walks, Nick was not as revered and loved as Judy, so his journeys were often smoother and not so frequently halting. He had become something of a regular part of the day for many of the shop owners and today he had thrown them off by not coming by as expected. Nick however was unaware of the effect of his absence, and was focused this morning on getting the Chief alone to discuss his prospects for the position of Liaison-Officer.

The morning meeting went as usual: Bogo came in looking stiff and overbearing, he silenced the psyching-up chants of the officers, and read the duties of the day from his clipboard. Today Judy and Nick were on duty for crowd control and monitoring at the Savanna Central Station. Some hyper-conservative group with species-supremacist opinions - the ZFF - was staging a protest and needed to be monitored to make sure that they were throwing only their words around the Central Square and not throwing punches or materials that could bring physical injury. Officer McHorn was dispatched as their back-up, but he was to remain out of sight of the crowds so that there would be no suggestion of any major police response or intimidation.

Nick tried to get Bogo aside to speak to him, but the protest demanded immediate, on-site response, so Nick settled for making an appointment with the Chief for the following morning. Nick hated the idea of putting off such important matters after having to let it stew in his mind all weekend, but the demands of duty could not be ignored.

* * *

Both Judy and Nick were on-site less than ten minutes later and the protest was already in full swing. Many of the ZFF protesters were inside the overhang of the entrance to the station, just out of the rising sun. To complicate matters, a group of counter-protesters had arrived with none-other than 'Gazelle' among their number. She was dressed in a modest outfit given her usual wardrobe, and she did not try to make use of her stage-persona to convince others to support her cause on this day. She was there as an animal that welcomed new arrivals and championed their rights to come to Zootopia. As Judy approached the throng of protesters and their counter-protesters she felt compelled to go over to 'Gazelle' and say 'hi'. She restrained herself by reminding herself that she was there to keep the peace, not champion one side's opinions over another. Still, her personal feelings on the matter were wholly for 'Gazelle's side of the argument.

Nick came to this event feeling much the same as Judy, but from his view he felt that he and Judy were themselves something of a political statement by the Chief under the direction of superior members of the government from City Hall. Two cops, and the smallest ones on the force at that, were hardly sufficient to keep this situation under control if any of the protesters from either side decided to get aggressive and cause a scene. Nick surmised that both he and Judy were there as representatives of Zootopia itself: a native predator from the streets, and a bunny who transplanted to the city from the countryside, both of whom had become the first police officers of their species and somewhat celebrated heroes.

Judy worked to keep the counter-protesters from 'Gazelle's group towards one side of the entrance while Nick kept the ZFF protesters to the other side so that animals using the commuter system would not been impeded in their daily migrations. Since neither side seemed particularly vitriolic in their regard of the other group, neither Judy or Nick saw the necessity in setting up any 'Caution' tape.  
Nick caught a few angry retorts from some of the ZFF protesters, but a hard glance and a mollifying insistence from him that they calm down seemed to assuage the tension a bit. On Judy's end, many of the counter-protesters insisted that she should be in their group and be leading the charge. She kept her cool and let them know that she was only there to keep the peace and prevent an incident that required a more direct and heavy-pawed approach.

Thus did the day begin.

* * *

For quite a while this tenuous equilibrium seemed to hold steady. Even without the presence of any kind of physical barrier like a metal gate or Caution Tape strung in front of either group, the ZFF and the counter-protest group kept to their respective sides, hoisted their signs, and chanted. A few outlandishly harsh remarks from a few very open mouths were launched like fusilades from one side to the other, but these quickly fizzled out and neither side made a push to get up close and physical with the other. Enough of the prey animals in the ZFF were timid of the tall fox police officer and kept to their signs and chants, while the counter-protesters with 'Gazelle' respected their attendant police officer enough to not attempt an aggressive advance with her in their path.

As this went on, animals coming out of the station seemed to quicken their pace to get out of the way of both parties. Most of these animals were probably just in for work or vacation, but to both sides it seemed like an exodus of creatures to Zootopia that was meant to be verbally lauded or repulsed. The unfortunate commuter animals themselves seemed eager enough to just get out of the way of the tirade.

All told, by noon most of the protesters in both camps called it quits and retired to get something to eat. With the day growing steadily hotter, most decided not to return for the afternoon. Even with the bleed-off of protesters and counter-protesters, Judy and Nick had no choice but to remain onsite so long as there were a few protesters of either side in attendance. If it had been for one group of animals championing one cause for which they were unified, Judy and Nick could probably have left; but rival factions needed to be supervised.

After a few more hours, one of the protesters, perhaps simply out of boredom, decided to speak to Nick.

"Hey officer, why are you out here watching us all day long? What about keeping the streets safe? There must be somewhere you would be more useful."

Nick looked at the wolverine that had said this. The large, weasel-like animal had a sign that said "Find a Vacancy in your home. Don't crash in mine. ZFF". Nick might have thought it was a clever sign if it were not so intolerant. He looked away from the sign and back the animal holding it.

"I'm here to preserve the peace while you're demonstrating sir," Nick replied. "I think this counts as keeping things safe, so I'd say I _am_ being useful."

"Not objecting officer, I'm just saying that you're a Zootopian too. Don't you think there're enough problems here without more immigrants coming in from the country and adding to the issues?"

"Some of my best friends are from the country sir and if you want my opinion, a great many of them do this city great service by their work here."

The wolverine shrugged, seeing that Nick would not be easily swayed. "Well, can't convince 'em all." He then went to bobbing his sign up and down. Most of the other protesters had lost the stamina to keep chanting, so they settled for pacing around in circles on their end of the station entrance/exit, holding their signs up, and letting the written word convey the messages they wanted to send.

Over where Judy worked, most of the counter-protesters still waived signs saying 'I evolved in Nature. Zootopia is my home. Welcome all!', or 'We all evolved intelligence. Many Zootopians still use it. We welcome you'. The sentiment reminded Judy of her first day in Zootopia when she came through this very entrance, awash in hope and positive thoughts about what her life would be like in this city. She remembered the glittering digital image of 'Gazelle' on the building across from the station entrance biding her 'Welcome to Zootopia!'. It saddened her to see such a protest mar what to her seemed a place where everyone's memories of Zootopia would begin. It amazed her over and over to see some of the intolerance among the animals she had believed evolved above such bigotry.

* * *

Around 16:00, who should pull up in a police cruiser, but Officer Benjamin Clawhauser. Ben stepped out of his vehicle after securing it near the one that Judy and Nick had taken to this event, and made his way to the entrance of the station. Both Nick and Judy were surprised by the sudden appearance of their desk-officer friend.

"Hey you guys," Ben waived at them enthusiastically. "The Chief figured you guys were near the end of the work you need to do here, so he sent me down to help. I think he's grooming me to get back in the field!"

"Oh Ben that is wonderful!" said the leader of the counter-protest group.

"Gazelle! Hi..." Suddenly Ben's attention was entirely diverted to his pen pal and supportive musical friend and he seemed to get self-conscious. He straightened up his posture so he stood taller, sucked in his gut a little more, and puffed out his chest. Judy noticed and stifled a snicker.

"You will keep peace for us then?" Gazelle asked.

"Well, that's what I came to do." Ben answered back.

"Great Ben," Judy said as she patted his leg. "I've been on my feet all day. I could really use a quick break." Ben suddenly got a little nervous, but before he could ask Judy to stay, she had wandered back to the patrol cruiser and left him to survey the group... and its radiantly-smiling leader.

Upon reaching the patrol cruiser, Judy retrieved an energy drink with carrot flavoring. Judy certainly had an energetic personality, but spending more than eight hours pacing back and forth in front of animals that were arguing with one another, keeping her ears in the air to sense for the moment when something would go wrong - it took a toll on her to remain so vigilant for so many hours. She took a long swig of her drink and then came back to stand with Ben. When she looked over at Nick, Judy saw him walk only a few steps, turn and face the crowd to look for possible aggression. After about a minute of this, he would turn and take several more steps in the direction he had been walking previously, stop and survey again. He repeated this as if her were an automaton: several steps, stop, survey, hold... repeat. He looked bored, and she did not wholly disagree with him. As far as protests, this one was fairly relaxed and rather dull. Although the relaxed tone she actually found herself thankful for.

Judy was going to remind Ben that his job was to watch the whole of the counter-protest contingent, and not just its leader, but when she saw that he had gotten into the swing of his job, she left him there and went over to tell Nick that he should get a break while she kept watch. Nick was only a few minutes in getting a quick bite from his snack container in the cruiser, and then he was back at his post.

After another hour of posturing by both sides, one of the ZFF protesters, either from frustration, hunger, or just crankiness at the minimum degree of inactivity, decided to get closer and more vocal with denouncing the counter protesters. Nick, and then Ben, tried to dissuade the protester from crossing the implicit line that had held all these hours, but it was to no avail. This protester got in front of 'Gazelle' and launched into a tirade about the need for closed borders, emphasizing that there were out-of-work animals all over Zootopia that had a hard enough time finding work without new hires from out-of-towners taking jobs. His arguments were by themselves cogent and factual, though his demands to shut the borders were certainly hard-liner and extremist.  
Seeing one of their own go forward, several of the other ZFF protesters got up the courage to surge forward, and while Ben, with Nick's help, tried to keep a barrier between the two groups, the fracas began to increase. Judy found herself sandwiched in between the two sides and feared that at this point, with everyone cranky and on edge, a scuffle and perhaps a fight was entirely possible.

McHorn by this point was nearly falling asleep at his post, but when he saw the two throngs become one, and all three police officers began to disappear into the press, he bolted from his cruiser and hustled to the scene. The large rhinoceros got into the fray and began pushing protesters and counter-protesters to the left and right. He could see Ben Clawhauser clearly among the throng, but the press of animals had all but hidden both of the smaller officers. McHorn could only just make out some bright red ears with black tips, and a pair of very tall gray (and similarly black-tipped) ears. The throng was small, but the concentration of hooves, muzzles, paws, signs and bodies in the middle of the press was close to crushing the three officers who were in it.  
Judy tried desperately to hold a bobcat and an impala as far apart as the width of her own body, but they were more massive, and her main strength was more in her legs than in her arms.  
Nick felt his tail trampled and worked hard not to wince at the pain. Rather than stick his claws out and risk cutting anyone, he settled for keeping his claws in against his chest and kept his elbows sticking out to keep the two sides from crushing together. He looked over the throng and saw Judy in the press as well. Though Nick wanted to help her, he knew that right now he had to hold his ground.  
Poor Ben Clawhauser, who had not been in the field for more than two years was unaccustomed to being in such a press, and his larger body surface unfortunately suffered constant jabbing, pocking and shoving. Ben tried his best to speak over the din, but his rather meek and mild voice did not carry well over such a tumult and he found himself unable to quell the disorder.

As the press persisted, Gazelle thought it wiser to redirect the attention of the throng to the message rather than the confrontation, so she stepped out of the throng and just beyond Officer McHorn, who let her pass without incident. Gazelle started by chanting what she and her fellow counter-protesters had been chanting most of the day, but when that seemed to spur those on her side to greater fury in the confrontation, she challenged the entire collective mass of animals with being uncivilized and wild. A few of the animals at the edge of the throng her this and decided to back away. As the press from behind waned, the press in the middle began to subside too, and eventually only a few particularly aggressive members of either group were still contending.

While Nick worked to handle two pairs of animals, the wolverine he had talked to earlier, a stoat, and two weasels, Judy was dealing with one possum counter-protester being harassed by two civet ZFF protesters and Ben was dealing with a pair of wolves that were shoving one another with their signs. Nick spared a quick glance to Judy and wanted to get over and intercede in the scuffle she was trying to control. However, the four animals that he was dealing with had formed their own little mash of fur, claws, signs, and vitriolic shouts. Nick did not see a clean way to extricate himself from their squabble, he had to stay and keep them off of one another.

McHorn noticed Judy, and seeing that the animals she was dealing with were each much larger than her, he interceded.

"I'm coming MM!" the burly rhinoceros declared, using the contraction of 'Meter Maid' that he had adopted as his own personal term of endearment for Judy in the years she had been at the ZPD. McHorn got in between the scuffling protesters and pushed the two ZFF members away while Judy got the counter-protester to back down.

As this happened, Nick saw the stoat actually swing her sign at one of the two weasels and hit one of them. As the stoat wound up to swing again, Nick interceded to push the weasel away and remove the sign from the paws of the assailing stoat. The stoat began to pull back and bare her teeth and Nick did his best to remind her that violence at this event would not be tolerated. The wolverine interceded on behalf of the stoat and actually took a swipe at Nick. The reflexes of a wily fox are fast, but the claws of the aggressive wolverine came within a hair's breadth of gashing Nick's muzzle. Nick backed away as the wolverine, now amped up from the tussle and worn physically from a day of protesting, barred his claws and teeth at the fox officer. Nick looked behind him to assess what retreat-based options were available and he saw Ben still holding the two wolves apart. The wolverine lunged at Nick, who ducked the swipe and backed off some more. While Nick and the wolverine were of similar height, Nick was outclassed as far as sheer body mass, and if the wolverine got a hold of him, the situation would turn ugly.

Observing his antagonist, Nick skulked backwards slowly and readied his police baton. He gave the wolverine warning with the honorific 'sir' in order to snap him back to the moment, but the ZFF protester had gone too much of the day with too little activity and was now running on adrenaline without thinking. The wolverine swung, and Nick deflected the claws and side-stepped his opponent to get around to his backside. Nick put his baton across the wolverine's throat and ever so slightly tightened against the animal's neck. Claws reached over and behind the wolverine's head, but Nick was ready with his cuffs. He caught hold of one paw, clinched the cuff, and then held onto it as he reached up and grabbed the second paw and pulled both behind the wolverine's back; linking them together.

"Sir, you have the right to remain silent..."

* * *

The cruiser that Nick had come in with Judy was just a little too snug for a passenger as large as the wolverine in the back seat, so he took the suspect to Ben's cruiser. Fortunately, the back door was unlocked from the outside, and Nick was able to put the unruly protester in the seat without much difficulty. By the time the suspect was settled and the door closed, Ben was returning from having successfully broken up the tussle with the two wolves; both Judy and McHorn had come to his aid after separating and settling first the three protesters that Judy was responsible, and then the three protesters that had been Nick's before his tense interaction with the wolverine.

Nick made his way back to Judy and McHorn after Ben got to the cruiser and proceeded to drive the wolverine to the precinct.

"Wilde, where were you when your partner needed help?" McHorn scorned the younger fox officer as he came upon them. Nick was still riding a little high from the thrill of capturing a disorderly protester and came down quickly when he received this criticism.

"I wanted to get to Hopps, but I had four protesters and one of them started getting aggressive. Didn't you see her hit that counter-protester?"

"You're first job is to the team." McHorn continued to deprecate Nick's performance and put him down. "Instead, you started a fight with that protester, and now he'll have to be prosecuted..."

" _I_ started?" Nick asked incredulously. "I saw one protester start using her sign like a weapon against another and did my best to disarm her by taking away her weapon and keep her away from her victim. Then _I_ get attacked and do my best not to get myself or anyone else injured in the process. My attacker continues to press the fight despite my giving him opportunities to let it be, then I only defend myself long enough to take him in for assaulting a police officer, and _I'm_ the one to blame for this?"

"Do you have a problem with the job Wilde? A little too much for you to handle?"

Rather than wait for Nick to respond, McHorn shook his head in exasperation and walked off to his own cruiser. Nick looked after him with a grimace, taking solace in the fact that he had done all he could, and that this kind of treatment was unjust, which put him on the moral high ground well above McHorn's head.

Judy then got over to him. She had wanted to intercede on Nick's behalf, but had decided that she was not in a place to question the experience of a more senior officer. Also, Gazelle was collecting members of the counter protest and Judy wanted to make sure no other incidents occurred. Once she was satisfied that Gazelle was not gearing up for any more counter-protesting and that the ZFF had disbanded for the day, she came back. Nick was looking at McHorn with a sour expression as the larger officer walked off.

"Hey, what happened there?" she asked.

"Apparently Officer McHorn thought it necessary to admonish me over my primary duty as an officer. Who died and made him boss?"

"Well next time just get to me quicker and we can deal with these problems together."

Nick now turned to Judy as if she had just been given a sergeant's badge and was giving him crap as well.

"I thought it was pretty clear that I was engaged in trying to break up a fight between those protesters." He defended.

"Yeah, but that fight escalated when you got involved."

Nick's head was spinning. "Am... am I hearing this correctly? I should have let those animals swing signs and hit or even _claw_ at one another?"

"I think you were right to stop anyone from getting hurt, but McHorn isn't wrong that the priority is with the team. If you had come to me first, we could have gotten those protesters I was dealing with under control and then we could have handled your protesters together."

"Carrots, can I be allowed a little forgiveness for preventing one animal from being beaten up with a sign and then subduing a protester that nearly clawed me?"

"He might not have tried that if you hadn't been getting so forceful."

"Me forceful? I've seen you at protests like these before, and I've seen you knock an animal to the pavement and cuff them more forcefully than what I just did."

"That was different."

"Different how?"

"That fight started in my absence and then those animals were actually being cheered on by the crowd to fight each other. I got into it _after_ it became a problem, _you_ were there from when it started and you might have made it worse."

"I..."

"Nick, it happens. We'll book the guy, we don't press charges, and he'll probably be released in the morning. Just chock this up to more lessons learned and help the team first next time."

Nick was feeling riled now and wanted to argue further, but he inhaled and decided to let this go. His argument was with the system and these expectations that he disagreed with, not so much Judy; though to him, Judy was not being all that fair in her expectations of him either.

"Fine... I'll watch for that in the future." He said.

Judy seemed to accept that and they walked back to the cruiser.

* * *

The drive back to the station was quiet. Nick still felt incensed and could not bring himself to look in Judy's direction. He was not so much angry that he was being criticized, he knew more experienced cops were supposed to mentor those with less experience, but it was how McHorn and then Judy herself had critiqued him. The situation was tense and he felt it was too tense for him to just up and go help Judy, especially when she had support from McHorn. The situation went awry and they acted as if it was his fault for it having gone that way.

As Nick stewed, his thoughts began to go over this confrontation and previous confrontations he had been involved in.

For Nick, he had been trying to keep contentious animals separated, and had done his best to subdue them when things got out of control. The whole point of having a police presence at this rally, to his understanding, was a preventative measure against this sort of behavior. He had even intimated as much to Judy in the past and she had agreed with him, but when it came to execution the other cops seemed wildly inconsistent in their criticism. This last scuffle had come because Nick had taken the advice of Fangmeyer, who told him to be more proactive with keeping order. She had referred to the rally he alluded to earlier with Judy, where she had had to subdue fighting protesters. Judy was lauded afterwards for getting in there and breaking up the fight; his own arrival a moment later to help her with keeping both animals under control was criticized for being too late.

This time he had tried to be proactive, and though he had wanted to go help Judy, he had stopped himself when the protesters nearest him started bludgeoning one another. That apparently was not a good enough excuse for why he did not go to Judy sooner. Though Nick could also imagine that if he had gone to Judy and the bludgeoning had begun while he was away that he would have been criticized for not responding to an emergency. A similar situation had happened only a month previously when he was on-site as the officer in charge of handling the scene of a nasty car crash and was called away to the sidewalk to report to Grizzoli and Delgato. He had left the injured motorist in the ambulance with EMTs and had crossed the street to speak with both officers. However, the uninjured cub of the motorist wanted to stay close to Nick and followed after him. The poor little cub was nearly run over by another motorist and only a quick emergency brake saved the little cub's life. Nick had been HEAVILY criticized by Grizzoli, and a little less so by Delgato, for not paying attention to the cub at that exact moment, despite having left the cub with the EMTs and following procedure by informing the rest of the on-site team about the situation - something that he had been made to understand by Officer Paddington that needed to be done the moment the other officers arrived.

It seemed no matter what Nick did, he would be criticized, and if he learned how to do better on one thing, that left him open to mistakes with regard to other things. Most of the time he felt that no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he put into this job, he was never going to be good enough for these cops. Even Judy, who was his champion and guiding mentor, had actually begun to adopt this rather draconian method of using criticism as education. She seemed to take solace in the idea that this was done in order to make him a better cop, but she did not seem to ever try to see things from Nick's perspective.

As these thoughts took form in Nick's mind he began to sour even further.  
 _Why do I even come to work?_ He asked himself.

When they got to the station, Nick went in to see what had become of the wolverine. Ben had taken care of the processing, and a few officers were clapping him on the back and affirming his 'good work' in getting trouble-makers off the street. Francine Paddington noticed Nick and Judy arriving and stopped them to speak praises for Ben to have brought in a protester that disturbed the peace.

The praise that everyone showered Ben with was the last straw for Nick. He wanted to get on the front desk and scream at everyone for their ridiculous double-standard. That he should be criticized for having brought this animal in after a fight that supposedly escalated due to 'his' involvement, while Ben should be praised for what seemed the same action. The worst part was Nick knew he had no recourse to this because Ben was trying to return to permanent patrol duty, and because Ben was his friend, and Nick would be thought a glory-monger for stealing this from his friend. Nick felt so amazingly angry to come to this realization of being in a veritable Catch-22 that he could barely bring himself to shake Ben's hand, tell him 'Nice job', before he darted from the atrium to his locker.

Judy was surprised by Nick's sudden departure, but came forward to give her hearty congratulations to Ben.

"Thanks for taking care of that, Ben." She said.

"Thanks Judy. I tried to include mention of Nick being the one to actually cuff that guy and put hi in the cruiser, but everyone saw me bring him in and start on the paperwork, they just assumed it was all me."

"Oh don't worry about Nick. He'll bust another disorderly animal by the end of the week. He's great at this, I'm sure you taking one off his hands would actually give him some relief." Judy replied. "I'm not sure why left in such a hurry. Maybe he has some personal business to take care of."

* * *

Nick changed out of his uniform - he almost felt like he could tear it in his frustration - then stuffed it in his bag as he geared up in his civies. He stomped out of the locker room and marched straight out the door. He did not even hear the call from Judy or Ben, he just marched on. Once he was a block from the station he had cooled enough that he was taking complete breaths again. The first animal he thought to talk to was Heather since he needed someone to calm him, but then when he thought of all the anger he had built up towards his colleagues from their discrimination and criticism, he decided he needed to speak to a friend who had a lower regard for other animals than Heather would entertain. Flipping through the contact list, Nick found just such a friend quickly, called him and got the affirmative on meeting at their favorite bar.

Nick arrived at the bar not far from his home about a half hour later. All along the way there, Judy had been trying to get in touch with him, but he did not feel like speaking to her. That, and the subject he was about to explore would have put him HEAVILY at odds with her for a while; his temper right now would lead him to say stupid things that she in turn would probably remain angry about for days to come.

A small, fennec fox was at the bar stool in his accustomed spot. Nick made his way over next to his former partner, sat down, and ordered a drink. They did not speak or acknowledge one another until Nick had his drink and had taken a long sip.

"Bad day?" Finnick asked.

"I've seen better." Nick replied.

"Haven't we all," and Finnick took a long pull of his beer. "You sound like you just got called _sly_ all day."

"Nothing so overt," Nick replied before taking another gulp. "At my job they do it in subtler ways. They make it out to be 'constructive criticism', they just leave out the 'con' and give it a little more of the 'de' flavor."

"'Con', I would think that's a forbidden word for you these days."

"Finn, you know I never wanted to."

"No, but you were happy to stay at it while the money was good."

"But you knew I never liked it. I just did what I had to."

"Whatever."

Finnick had not been entirely pleased with Nick becoming a cop, though Nick could not think of any foxes that were exactly _thrilled_ about it. Finnick had taken it a bit harder since it meant an end to their partnership. Also, since Nick was now a cop, Finn was wary of being around his old partner. Nick had never had any priors on his record and had done things in a sort of gray area of the law while Finnick had a spottier history and had closer affiliations with those who had been involved in less mundane legal violations. It made their interactions a little more tense than Nick felt was warranted. The saving grace was that Finn was mostly out of that business and working as a mechanic - better money and hours, and he was finally putting enough into his van that it was starting to ride smoother and with fewer backfires. The only problem was, Nick was starting to think Finn was working for a chop-shop.

"I'm thinking of leaving." Nick finally said after a long interval of silent staring over the bar and drinking.

"What, you're quitting cause they hurt your feelings?" Finnick mocked.

Nick actually felt pleased to hear the mocking, it reminded him of old times. "No, I mean I'm thinking of taking a new police job in a different place."

"Huh, where do you think you can go that foxes won't be treated like they've always been treated?" Finnick challenged.

"I think I found a place that's the best I can hope for. It's out near the Wild."

 _HA_! Finnick nearly spewed his drink when he heard Nick say that. "Hey barkeep, another drink for my friend here, he's thinking of going _Wild_!" Finnick continued to tease, but he now turned on his stool to look directly at Nick.

"What kind of cop do they need out where there is no law?... hey, I think I'm getting philosophical now."

Despite himself, Nick could not help but give a little laugh as he turned to look at Finn. "Well there's a head-scratcher for us. I'm applying for a job with the Far-End Glade Station. They always have a ZPD officer on staff there to help coordinate work between them and Zootopia. I talked to the fellows there over the weekend and they said they'd like someone to be in charge of investigations."

"Finding who murdered the vole family that lives in the same neighborhood as the lynx? _Spoiler!_ It was an inside job." Finnick continued with his black humor on the subject.

"I'm serious Finn. I'm talking with my Chief at the precinct tomorrow, and hopefully I get the job soon. The Chief out at the station already asked for my résumé and is waiting on a recommendation from the ZPD."

"Well, I'll drink to that. The first ZPD fox officer, and the shortest tour of duty at the ZPD. Cheers!" Nick grimaced, but clinked his glass against Finnick's before downing that last of his drink. He decided not to touch the second one that Finn had ordered him, but he paid for both anyway. He said goodbye to his old friend and left. Finnick and Nick shared a lot of history and were still devoted friends, but Nick could only stand so much of Finnick's contentious language in one sitting. Finnick didn't seem to mind and settled in to finish the remaining brews.

* * *

Judy had been calling Nick for hours with no success. She wanted to make sure he was not upset about today. Nick often got a little extra criticism in his work methods than she or the others did, but she could remember having plenty of criticism in her first year. Whenever she gave criticism she tried to make it more palatable and supportive of him being able to do it right the next time, but she still wanted to give him a little extra assurance - and receive some in return - that all was fine between them. Nick had a habit of going to the bar near his home some nights and getting a drink, so she assumed he must be there. He was responsible and never got drunk, or so she assumed since he never came to work with a hangover. It was still her habit to make sure that he was not getting into trouble and so she called him to see what he was up to. Having him not answer for so long was also not uncommon, but it still made her wonder what was going on; she hated being left in the dark.

Finally, near midnight, Nick called her back.

"Hey Carrots. Better cool it on those calls, you'll wear out the transistors in your phone."

"Nick, hi I was just wondering what happened. You left kind of suddenly. I thought that maybe something was wrong."

"No, nothing's wrong. I just felt like I hadn't seen Finn in a while and I wanted to tell him a bit about Far-End. He's never been there himself."

"Wow, you had a really great time on that trip."

"What can I say? A trip with two lovely girls to a far away place that I heard stories about my whole life... I guess it brings out the romantic in me and I feel like telling my friends."

Suddenly Judy started to wonder if maybe Nick had liked the trip so much because he had been there with Heather for a fair amount of it. Though Heather had only given Nick a very generic display of affection after he left to go to Bunnyburrow, the fact that the two of them still saw each other after having spent a night together made Judy wonder if perhaps he had left work to go on a date with Heather instead of going see Finnick. She dismissed that line of thought quickly and got back to what she had originally been concerned about.

"So you're not upset about today?"

"Why would I be upset?"

"Well that scuffle, the arrest, Ben getting the credit... by the way he included you in the report to say that you made the initial bust and read our guest his rights."

"Yeah..." Nick did not sound too thrilled. "It's fine. Another day on the job. Hey I'm bushed, I'm going to get some sleep. You probably should too."

"Nick, are you sure there's nothing wrong? You were pretty quiet on the way back to the precinct."

"I'm just a bit tired Carrots, don't sweat it. I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay, sweet dreams."

After she closed her phone, Judy felt a little more at ease about Nick. She thought there might be more than just exhaustion since Nick was very fit and was noted for having exceptional stamina. If something was wrong though, she trusted that he would tell her about it as soon as it manifested itself. She decided to let it lie and tucked herself into bed. Despite her neighbors carrying on with their arguing, she quickly drifted to a relaxing sleep.

* * *

 _And so it begins. Nick's intentions to get the Liaison-Officer job and leave now move towards a state of active deception with regard to Judy. She only remains unaware of his intentions because he has enough going on with Heather and his child-like fascination with_ The Wild _to keep her satisfied with a simpler explanation._

 _I hope everyone appreciates that Judy is not_ 'blissfully unaware' _of Nick's strife and the intolerance of some groups in Zootopia. She just looks at it all as another set of challenges that she will solve with her loyal partner at her side. What she is missing is how deeply these issues are affecting Nick and how he does not feel willing to share his problems with her because she has such a_ 'can-do' _attitude that she may not be able to empathize_. _Also, she is starting to succumb to the idea that_ 'if everyone does it, and he doesn't complain, it must be okay' _mentality with regard to teaching Nick how to be a cop._

 _Thanks for reading. See you next time._


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello and welcome back. I have been at work on this chapter when I have found the time and am fairly pleased with how it fell together. It does start to get a little heavy now as Nick pushes towards his goals. I thought it necessary to bring in a few more of the things that have happened in between these events and the first of my Zootopia stories so that you can understand why Nick is so motivated to make this career change._

 _Nick's struggles to tell Judy also start to present problems, and he handles it in a way that you may find short-sighted and inconsiderate, but I think it helps move the story forward._

 _Judy begins to wonder what is going on with Nick, and she herself comes to some short-sighted conclusions of her own._

* * *

Nick arrived at the precinct ahead of schedule in order to get his thoughts in order for his meeting with the Chief. He was scheduled to meet after the morning announcements, but one of the behaviors that Nick carried over from his years as a con-artist was staking out the location he was going to work at well in advance of ever going in. While he could not effectively stake out the Chief's office, he could at least get to work and in his work mentality earlier.

Nick opened his locker and placed his duffel and civilian clothes inside. On the inside of the door was a reminder of why he was so motivated to leave this place and go for a new job. A short message in red paint that clearly came from a spray-can was splayed at an angle across the inside of the door - streaks of paint remained from when the paint had been wet and ran down the door. The script read: _Get Out Fox!_

In his first couple of months at the ZPD, shortly after the issue with sexual discrimination that Judy had addressed with him, a number of officers had turned decidedly cold and sour with regards to the new fox officer. This message had appeared one day and Nick had angrily confronted the entire group of officers in the locker room over what he found. It still made him angry as he thought back to it.

* * *

 _"Ben," Nick asked of the officer that had the locker immediately above him. Ben looked down and his eyes went wide when he saw the message on the locker door._

 _Nick spoke slowly, sedately, but with the most apparent and obvious undertone of pent-up anger._

 _"Ben, do you see what I see?"_

 _"Nick, who did..."_

 _"Ben... do you see... what I see?"_

 _"That bit of hate speech in your locker? Yeah, I see it."_

 _"Did I put this here, Ben?"_

 _"No, not that I know of."_

 _"Is there a_ reason _that I would put this here, Ben?"_

 _"Can't think of one."_

 _"Then I trust you'll understand why I'm about to do this..."_

 _Nick whirled around to face the other officers around him._

 _"Anyone have something they wanna say to me!" He shouted, with one paw pointing at his open locker.  
Several officers looked over and saw the scrawl on the locker door. Most of them were scandalized, or at least looked that way. A few seemed not to care, though their attention was on the script and not Nick himself. One of the wolf officers, _Wolfersen _, actually did make eye-contact with Nick for a moment and showed a cunning, mocking flash of secretive knowledge. Nick had a feeling in his gut that it had been the other canid officer, but without the faintest shred of proof, Nick knew there was nothing he could do about it._

 _Only Ben, Delgato and Sharp hung back after everyone else cleared the room and went about their day. No one had taken Nick up on his challenge. Delgato came forward to look at the writing more closely._

 _"Cats!" he exclaimed and touched the paint to see if it was still wet. It was dry. "Whoever wrote it must have done it some time ago. It's been here long enough to dry. I can't even smell any paint fumes."_

 _"We need to take this to the Chief," said Sharp, who was pulling out some Caution tape from his pocket and getting his phone ready to take a picture. "This is intolerable and we need to deal with it."_

 _"Forget it," Nick said as he massaged his arm._

 _"Forget it?" Ben expounded. "Someone just vandalized your locker, made hate-speech, and you're saying we should forget it?"_

* * *

At the moment he had seen that writing, Nick had wanted to savage the first animal he even thought of being guilty of writing it, but that had been tempered by having lived more than twenty years with 'never-let-them-see-that-they-get-to-you'. He did not want to give his tormentor the satisfaction of having gotten under his fur any more than what he allowed everyone to see when he demanded his tormentor step forward. Then, as now, he exhaled, looked away, and closed the door. Nick shook himself free of these thoughts and set himself to going over how he would make the case of the Chief.

Later, after the morning announcements and after begging off heading out directly with Judy due to his appointment, Nick knocked on the Chief's door. Nick was called in almost the instant the sound emanated from his wrapping on the door. Inside, the office was the same as ever: reasonably organized, utilitarian, various important bulletins and the like were on the wall, and the Chief himself was at his desk, bent over some paperwork.

"Come on in Wilde. Be with you in a minute."

Wilde shut the door and made for the seat in front of the Chief's desk. The Chief was going over a few papers and seemed thoroughly engrossed. Wilde knew that the issue at stake was far more important than it was pressing or urgent, so he waited. He knew what he wanted to say and was not in a hurry to get it out. When the Chief seemed satisfied with what he had assembled and collated, he looked up at Wilde and removed his reading glasses.

"Wilde, you said you wanted to discuss something important. Should I be expecting another crusade by Hopps in regards to departmental conduct?"

Despite what the Chief said, Wilde knew that the cranky water buffalo did genuinely esteem the opinions of his smallest officers, and would treat any concern of theirs seriously. Wilde was counting on that.

"This is purely my own issue, Chief. It's got nothing to do with Officer Hopps. I was out at Glade Station this weekend and spoke to Chief Boggs and some of the staff out there about a ZPD position with their unit: Liaison-Officer I believe."

"Oh that, yes I'm making an announcement at the start of next week to start searching for new candidates. Officer Tuske can't seem to get out of there soon enough, and Boggs can't seem to be rid of him soon enough."

"Well Chief, I spoke to Boggs about that job and he suggested I talk to you about the possibility of me taking over as soon as possible."

" _You?_ " the Chief sounded quite surprised. "Rather a long way from your beaten path Wilde. You're quite sure about applying for that job?"

"Yes Chief. I've thought about little else since I talked to them and I wanted to bring it to you as soon as possible."

"It's generally meant for an officer with a few years of experience under their belt Wilde. You're a little new to be making a transfer to another job."

"Even so Chief, I want it, and from what I understand it isn't a job that many others are particularly interested in."

"Which brings me to ask why it interests _you_ , Wilde."

Wilde had to be careful here. He needed to make his points clear without sounding too starry-eyed, and without making too big a stink about his work in Precinct One.

"Chief... do you think I fit in here?"

Bogo looked at him quizzically. Wilde decided to clarify with a deeper explanation.

"Chief, I know I'm a rookie, and in the first several years there will be a steep learning curve, but I get the sense from what I've seen that no one here actually approves of the work I do. I obey orders and I obey the letter of the law, and when things go wrong I'm criticized even when what happened was beyond my control, or when I was doing expressly what I've been trained to do. I get told to stay with my team and be a team player, and I get criticized for not taking initiative. I take initiative when the team seems to have the immediate situation under control, and I get criticized for throwing off the dynamic. I've asked for advice from McHorn or Perkins on the proper conduct and I'm told I should have learned it at the academy even when the situation is not something in any of the manuals or textbooks. I just... I work hard, I try to do things according to procedure _and_ to the spirit of the law, and I do my best to backup and support my team... and nothing is ever good enough."

"This is the top unit in the city, Wilde. The members here are demanding and it takes time for a rookie to be welcomed into the fold."

"I understand that, Chief. I'm not saying I should be held to a lower standard or that I deserve some kind of special treatment. I'm saying I don't feel like I'm learning the things that would make me equal to the unit. I make mistakes on occasion and I do my best to learn from them and not make them again, but when I see others make those mistakes I don't see them corrected or critiqued. And when I get critiqued, sometimes the new lesson actually runs _counter_ to the previous critique even for a situation of almost identical circumstances."

"So you want out of the unit, Wilde?"

Now for the delicate explanation. "I want to learn to be a great cop Chief. I want to do a good job in this unit and earn respect when I do things right, which I'm pretty sure I do most of the time: the job gets done, our citizens are safe, they aren't endangered by what I do, and violators receive justice. Sometimes things get a little messy, but no more or less than what I see among the other, more senior members of the unit. From everyone's feedback, I almost get the sense that they think things going right under my watch is more in spite of my work rather than because of my work. I'm always either too slow, too inattentive, too hasty, too anal... I can never seem to get the work just right by the standards of _any_ of the other officers I work with. Even Hopps is criticizing my work somewhat arbitrarily these days."

"I saw her most recent performance review on you. She gave you top marks in everything and her only comment was..." Here Bogo reached into a drawer in his desk and drew out a sheet of paper. "That you seemed to be working too hard. I looked at your hours and the work you've done and I thought she was right. Maybe you're stressing yourself, Wilde."

"Believe me Chief, if I thought that was the issue, I would just ask for a vacation and come back fresh, but I don't think that's this issue here. Whenever I ease off, I somehow miss something _else_ I was supposed to do a better job on. I can't seem to work hard enough for anyone or do things right by the standards in this precinct. Yet I see the work ethic and actions of others that are - in my own opinion - lower than my own, and yet their errors and mistakes are somehow forgivable, while mine never are."

Bogo sat back and folded his hooves. He had seen Wilde at work in the field and read reports. From what most of the reports said, Wilde was effective, but every officer seemed to have some extra comment about their reviews. None were particularly scathing, but there was a tone of - good, but maybe not good enough. In the fur, Bogo had seen Wilde display the abilities of a very efficient and capable officer. Now upon further reflection of those field observations, Wilde _did_ seem to be largely isolated from the other officers. From the kind of personality Bogo knew Wilde to have, it was not for lack of trying to ingratiate himself with his teammates. Maybe there was something going on.  
This all flashed through Bogo's mind in a second and he came back to the conversation with a new inquiry.

"Is that the only reason you want the Liaison-Officer job?"

Wilde shook his head. "No Chief, I spoke with the officers at Glade Station and they said they could really use someone who would be in charge of their investigative work. I really want to devote more of my time and training to detective work, and they seem like they would encourage it."

"We have higher-end detective branches here, Wilde. With a few more years of training here I'm sure you'd qualify for any one of them."

"And I would love to work in one of them, Chief. But the point is I don't feel like I'm learning here. The critiques I receive this month overwrite the critiques I was given last month, which themselves overwrote the critiques I was given two or three months ago. I know there's such a thing as multiple layers to an issue, but like I said earlier: many of my newest lessons run counter to the ones I received previously from the _same officers_. I don't know what it is, but I get the sense that I'm never going to do a good enough job as a cop in the eyes of many of my colleagues. And if I have to keep sorting through all the rewrites to the way I should be working then I won't improve. The officers at the Glade Station seem like they would be more supportive of my work when it's done right. I sense that I'll develop more under their supervision than I will under the supervision of the senior officers in this precinct - present company excluded."

Bogo leaned forward and folded his hooves again. "Wilde, you're a native of Zootopia and your knowledge of the city is unequaled among many of the officers in this precinct. You're a great asset in that. Shouldn't you stay where you have an obvious strength?"

Wilde took a breath to steady himself. The Chief was not being particularly supportive yet, and was still not really hearing what Wilde was trying to say. Wilde absolutely needed to convince his boss that a recommendation to this job was the right thing to do if he was to succeed as a cop.

"Chief, I appreciate the vote of confidence, but what good is my knowledge if I can't apply it to my full potential? I'm sorry, but this unit isn't helping me to realize that potential, and I can't get them to change their minds about me and teach me any better way - believe me, I _have_ tried - so the next best thing is to find somewhere where I _can_ develop and improve myself. Please Chief. Please give me a recommendation to this job. I know I can do it well, and I'll end up a better officer for it."

Bogo sat back for a moment and seemed to mull things over in his head. He was not long in thought, and soon began to give the slightest of nods.

"All right, Wilde. If you really want this job I'll recommend you for it. It'll be up to the Glade Station about whether they accept you for it, but I'll give you a recommendation."

Wilde brightened immediately.

"Thanks Chief. You won't regret this."

"Anything else we need to discuss?"

"Uh, no. No that was pretty much it."

"Given what you just said about your treatment by your colleagues I would think there's a fair amount still to discuss."

Wilde exhaled. "There aren't any specific issues with specific members of the team, Chief. I think maybe it's just something that everyone picked up on. It really seemed to pick up around the time Hopps brought up the issue of gender inequality here at the precinct."

"How was that related?"

"I was the one who went to see you first and everyone knew it. Hopps has always been the optimistic and peppy member of the department, and I'm... I'm a little more down to earth and I guess maybe they thought I should know better than to rock the boat. Truth of it Chief, I don't think we can really take my species out of it. I'm not calling speciesism on anyone, but I think me being a fox sort of carries its own assortment of expectations and preconceptions."

"Not a small insinuation, Wilde."

"Not one I make lightly, Chief."

"You think there's been discrimination against you?"

Wilde thought back to his locker but decided he did not want to start a witch-hunt. Especially since his goal was to leave the precinct for a while, not cause more problems.

"I think my colleagues may have some prejudice that they don't even realize, and it's affecting the work dynamic - on my end especially. Anyway, I think if I can work elsewhere for a time and develop my skills as a cop then what I bring to this team in skill will be what I'm known and appreciated for."

Bogo nodded, seeing the wisdom in this fact, though clearly not pleased that this was how things had ended up.

"How is Officer Hopps taking this news of your plans for transfer?"

Wilde's face fell. "I... haven't, exactly, told her."

Bogo's brow furrowed. "Wilde she's your partner. She'll need to know that she'll be on solo duty and temporary partner assignments for a while until we can get her a new permanent work-mate."

"Yes Chief, I'll tell her."

"Well if that's all, we both have busy schedules today Wilde; better get to it."

With that, Wilde stepped down from the chair, gave a brief salute, and left the office. His partner had patiently waited for him in the atrium, and with his arrival they headed out to another day on the beat. Despite being presented with multiple chances to broach the topic of his meeting, Nick was somehow never able to let Judy know about the matter of the Liaison-Officer job.

Though he desperately wanted his friend and partner to know what he planned to do, whenever Nick imagined how Judy would handle such news he always saw her denouncing it as the wrong thing for him. His partner may have been a loyal friend, but she had a serious flaw: a great deal of her loyalty was enacted on her own terms. She was protective of her arrangements, whatever their nature; and when it came to Nick that arrangement was first and foremost: partners.

* * *

While on her afternoon break, Judy felt her phone buzzing and saw that the call was coming from her parents. It seemed unusual for them to be calling so soon in the day. Her Dad would normally be out in the fields taking care to bring in equipment, survey the fields, and avoid anything too strenuous when the day was hottest. Her mom would be in the burrow, making sure the kits coming home from school were not tracking dirt into the burrow or making a mess, and making sure that everyone did their chores and homework. Judy answered somewhat nervously, wondering if perhaps anyone was hurt.

"Hey Judy, good to see you." Came Janey's upbeat voice as soon as Judy saw the image of her younger sister pop open on her phone.

"Oh Janey. Hi, good to see you too. Is everything okay? Is everyone all right?"

"Of course, why wouldn't we be?"

"Sorry, a call from Mom and Dad's phone in the middle of the day is just a little unusual. I was imagining something bad had happened."

"Zootopia makes you think like that?"

"The separation leaves me uncertain about what goes on... and yeah I guess the things I see on the job make me scared of news at unexpected moments. Anyway, what's up?"

"I just wanted to see what you were doing. You said that you usually had a break in the afternoon and I was betting I could time it right since you're schedule said you were on Downtown Patrol today."

Janey had learned about Judy's schedules and what she did at what times depending on what was scheduled on any given day. To express her amazement she responded by saying "Sometimes you really amaze me Janey."

"Can you turn the phone around? Let me see where you are and what's going on?"

"Okay, but these video calls chew up lot of my phone data and battery power. Only another minute or so and then you either need to switch to a regular call or hang up all together."

"Deal."

Judy turned her phone so that Janey could see the street she was on while Nick was getting their afternoon pick-me-ups from a café nearby. Janey _oo_ ed and _ahh_ ed as she viewed the high-rise buildings and the menagerie of different animals that walked the streets.

"It's amazing!" the younger Hopps bunny expounded, and Judy smiled.

"It is pretty great. Some days I get concerned I'm getting used to it, but it really is remarkable."

"Hey Nick!" Janey squealed. Judy snapped her head away from the side-streets and alleys across the road and saw that Nick was coming her way, holding a steaming cup of something for himself, and a clear cup with a green liquid that was surely for her. He had his aviators in place, but when he noticed the phone open, and a familiar face on the screen he tilted his nose low enough that he could see Janey over his lenses.

"Well 'hi' Janey, so nice of you to call me." He teased.

"If I had your number that would have been easier." She teased back.

"Sorry kit, trade secret. Maybe I'll let you in on it when you're older."

Judy held the phone facing Nick and came around, rotating her wrist so she could stand next to Nick and allow Janey to see them both.

"Okay Janey thanks for calling but I gotta go. We need to be back on duty soon and I wanna save some phone data for calling the family later tonight. Give my love to everyone."

"Bye Judy! Bye Nick!"

Nick waved goodbye and Judy ended the call.

"She really likes the idea of this place, huh?" Nick asked as Judy put her phone back in her pocket and took her green drink. It looked like a mixture of kiwi, eucalyptus, and probably some other fruits and or vegetables. It was chilled, which helped Judy on warm days like today.

"She's a lot like me that way," Judy said as she took a sip of her drink. "She dreams of being in Zootopia and making the world a better place."

"Well she's got some big paw-prints to follow in. I imagine you set the bar pretty high for all of your siblings."

"I was driven." Judy answered matter-of-factly as she took another sip and started walking along their normal route. Nick fell in line and followed, taking the occasional sip and scanning the street.

Across the street Nick spotted a couple of black bears in suits walking by. Nick knew that they were specifically under the employment of some of Mr. Big's rivals, and had reputations of being rather aggressive. Near them was a group of weasels and stoats that dressed in baggie clothes and carried themselves a bit like hoodlums, but other than that offered little in the way of anything menacing or dangerous. Nick watched both parties but seemed to look more at the bears.

"Do you know who those bears in suits are?" he asked Judy after they rounded the corner.

Judy looked at him with a puzzled expression. "I didn't really get a good look at them. I was looking at those snickering weasels across the way. Did you notice them?"

Nick sighed. This was something he had noticed in Judy and other ZPD officers. The larger animal in the suit was usually written off as being the law-abiding citizen who was well-dressed and successful, and therefore not worth investigating or watching too closely. As if nice clothes and some expensive hygiene made one above reproach. The group of smaller animals that were not so well dressed - _that_ was where every cop seemed to direct their attention without a second thought.

"You know Carrots, I understand the need for having police out on the beat so we can monitor the neighborhoods and respond to distress more quickly, but sometimes I think this is the wrong way to enforce the law."

Judy looked at him with a bemused expression. "The _wrong_ way to enforce the law? If we're not out surveying the mood on the street and correcting misbehavior, what's the better way to enforce the law?"

"It just... sometimes I think it would be better if we just stood at various corners at particular hours of the day and were sort of 'there when others need us'. Better approach than going around just trying to find trouble and assuming we find it because a few kits look like they fit in elsewhere."

"You mean those weasels?"

"I was paying more attention to the bears."

"They look like they're from the financial sector nearby."

"Yeah, but did you know those bears are on the payroll of some known crime-bosses?"

Judy's eyes went wide. Nick nodded. "I've seen them around, and I know Delgato has had to deal with them on a few occasions."

"Were they doing anything unscrupulous."

"Not just now... but then neither were those weasels."

"Well at a glance, odds favor the bears being affiliated with some business in this part of town. Those kits didn't seem to fit in. They might be a possible source of trouble."

"Or they're just taking a walk... kits do that. I always did when I was younger, and cops always thought I was trouble... just 'at a glance'."

"Nick, weren't you in the habit of doing... less reputable work?" Judy pointed out.

"Granted that was my day job, but when I was done with that I had time to myself to just walk around and enjoy these nicer parts of town. And I never 'took' anything from anyone. I wasn't a thief. I just convinced others that at a given moment and in given circumstances that - granted, I fabricated - I was more entitled to something than they were. My point is tht a kit in less-than-chic attire in a ritzier part of town does not automatically denote impending trouble."

"Well my point is yes I know _you_ are a great individual, and maybe those weasel kits are just fine too. But at first glance - which is all I have to go on - I'm going to be more suspicious of them than I am of the bears."

"Fine, but when I say that those bears are mobsters, aren't _they_ going to draw your attention a bit more?"

"They might, but that's the benefit you have of foreknowledge in this case. I work with what I have. And just because those bears are mobsters doesn't mean they aren't just 'out for a walk'."

"Well same with those weasel kits... minus the mobster part."

The two officers decided not to pursue the topic further since they needed their attention on the streets. They were walking through some of the more orderly areas, and it was unlikely that they would encounter much in the way of any kind of disturbance to the peace, but as per regulation they had to have their attention on the task at hand - regardless of how low the chance of something going wrong seemed.

* * *

After Judy and Nick parted following work, Nick took a subway to a different part of town and entered into a nondescript apartment building. He ascended to one of the middle floors, went to one of the middle apartments along the corridor and knocked on the door. The door opened and revealed a middle-aged red fox nearly a head shorter than Nick.

"Hi Mom." Nick said with a smile.

"Nick! Oh my boy, come here." Mrs. Wilde opened the door wide and pulled her son into a tight hug. Nick was surprised when the sound of his vertebrae popping under her squeeze failed to occur. _Maybe police training did make me tougher_ , he thought. Despite being a little shorter than her son, Kate Wilde had great grip strength and a hug that some said could crush ribs.

"Odd to see you without one of your little shadows." She teased when she ceased hugging and she looked him up and down.

"Were you thinking of Finnick or Judy?" Nick asked.

"Well you've always seemed inseparable from either at one time or another. So, how is it with you these days Nick?"

"I'm doing okay Mom."

"Well come on in. I heard you went out with Heather. I trust you were well behaved?" She admonished as she sat in her favorite chair and Nick took the sofa.

"As much as she wanted me to be." He teased, and then amended. "I behaved myself, Mom."  
"Good, I like that girl."

Nick sighed. "Mom, I know where your thoughts are going, because they always go there, and I'm going to stop you where you are and say it's not gonna happen."

"Oh no? I heard you two went hiking this weekend."  
"It was a group event, nothing personal."

"Meeting some of her friends?"

"A planned run-in with acquaintances of shared interest... not much in the way of intros. More parallel play..."

A whistle came from the kitchen.

"Oh, the water's boiled. I'll pour us some tea."

After the tea was poured and they were each enjoying some hot sips, Kate had to broach the topic.

"Nick, when are you going to settle down and give me a grand-kit?"

"Mom, you know I'm not there..."

"No animal is ever there, sweety. But you get to a certain point when you feel good being with someone and you just make it happen. You're not that young any more."

"I wonder if other foxes have to deal with these same questions," he asked to the air. "Vixens I can imagine, but males? Do other guys get this from their moms?"

"I don't have daughters, who am I supposed to nag?"

Nick's thoughts turned serious and he set down his mug. In obedience to his mother's house rules the mug went on a coaster.

"Actually Mom, while I was out at Far-End I was hearing stories of animals that went into the Wild and never came back. I know it's mostly tourist-trap stuff so weekend holiday-goers can bring back a story, but I got to thinking and... I have to ask about Dad."

A brief silence followed that pronoun. Kate pursed her lips and her backbone straightened ever so slightly. She set her tea down on the coffee table, making sure it contacted a coaster, and looked over at her son as she folded her claws together. "What did you want to know?"

"You told me that Dad became one of the Wild animals when I was about six, and for most of my life I just sort of accepted that that was probably better than the truth that you wouldn't share, but now I find myself wanting to know what really happened."

"What I told you then is the most complete story I can tell you. I don't know where your father went or where he is."

"Did you just say the Wild because it was somewhere far away?"

"No, as far as I knew then, and as far as I know now, that's the most likely place he could have gone."

"How did he leave? And why?"

"One day he couldn't handle it any more and just left."

"Mom, I don't buy that he just snapped. There had to have been other things going on."

"Of course there were things going on. He was a fox, who no one saw as anything but shifty and sly, and he had a son of tremendous potential who had to let his gifts go to waste."

Nick looked down. The negative sentiment about life in Zootopia was one his mom had held for a long time. Nick had grown to be resentful of much of the city through his own experiences, but Kate had fostered and reinforced those feelings once he developed them.

"Your father wanted so much for himself, for all of us, and you especially." She said nostalgically. "When you were about five, he had you take an aptitude test in a preschool you were only visiting for the day, because it was all we could afford. He picked the day so you could take the test and they could see how wonderful he knew you to be. You got one of the highest scores."

Nick arched an eyebrow and answered sardonically. "In preschool?"

"It was an aptitude test, not a knowledge test, and we got a recommendation to enroll you in a special preparatory program that would nurture your talents; your sense of numbers and patterns was quite excellent. The program was expensive, and your father tried everything he could to give you the chance to go. He even got thrown out of a few banks trying to get loans..."

She looked away. Nick leaned forward and took her paw in his.

"You were pretty young," she said without meeting his eyes, "so you may not remember, but he took you to the school to get you enrolled directly, and when they heard he didn't have the income to pay the tuition they refused to accept you despite the score report and recommendations. I heard from the administrator that your father tried to negotiate anything he could: part-time schooling, a deferred payment plan, scholarships... he even volunteered to do menial work around the school in exchange for them taking you. It made no difference, he had to take you home and accept that no one was going to help him or you."

Nick looked away and allowed his eyes to un-focus. One of his memories of his father - his last in fact - was being carried on his Dad's shoulders through the neighborhood and feeling like he stood taller than any animal in Zootopia. His Dad had told him that great things were possible for animals who had intelligence, work ethic, and who could find a place they belonged. Nick's disillusionment came in the years after his Dad was gone, but there had always lingered those little rays of hope and aspiration when he felt so tall on his father's shoulders. It was one of the things about Judy that endeared her so much to him: she was like a small, female, lapine re-incarnation of his Dad. Given that John Wilde had gone missing shortly before Judy Hopps had been born, Nick imagined that if there was any truth to reincarnation that John Wilde could very well have come back as his friend from Bunnyburrow.

Still, that idea left a bad taste in his mouth when he considered it, though why exactly he was not sure.

Nick brought his eyes back to his Mom, who had gone silent. "So what happened to him?" he asked.

"He took you home, waited until I was coming up the stairs, and then left the apartment. He walked right passed me, I asked how it had gone, he took my paw in his for just a moment and he told me 'Kate, I have to go. Give Nick a kiss for me' and then he went out the door for the last time. I thought he was just going out for a bit to take care of something, but he never came back."

"Did we ever learn anything about what happened?"

"The next morning when I asked around the neighborhood if anyone had seen him they all said he had gotten on one of the Far End buses. I asked the bus company about it, they said everyone got off at the end and they were not sure of a fox. After a few days I put out Missing Mammal report and asked the Far-End police for help. They said hitchhiking was not uncommon, but no news of your father ever came of it."

Nick's head hung. These were sad truths, but he persevered, wanting to get everything he could from his Mom. He sensed this was not a conversation they would casually pick up again. The next time they broached this subject was probably going to take something stronger than tea.

"Why the story about The Wild?"

She gave a slight smile. "He always used to tell you stories about The Wild that had you trembling in horror even as you begged for another. He would say that we were from there, and had a great ancestry associated with it, and that our name had come from those borderlands,"

"Heh," Nick half-laughed, half snorted. "I did buy into that didn't I?"

"I thought it would be better if you thought he went there... maybe make it feel like he returned to the home of your ancestors. It seemed kinder than saying he just left. The years, and the city, were cruel to him. He tried so hard to have hope for a better world and a better life, and he wanted to give you that hope too. He started his Wild stories because he thought a sense of history and destiny would help. He never wanted you to be what he felt he was."

"What did he think he was?"

"A failure. I never thought of him as one but he often thought it of himself. He would have probably turned to drinking if not for all that he suffered from your grandfather's abuse. He was an innately optimistic individual, he had to be in order to survive all that he dealt with for as long as he did. I'm still angry that he left, it was selfish of him, but I know his reasons, and I don't regret having married him. He was a good husband and father, and a good fox. He just burnt himself out trying to make change for us and I guess he just decided to leave when his hope ran out."

Nick looked down. He recalled things he had said to Judy the first day he met her that amounted to a similar end result for his own father. It made him feel pretty rotten now to recall them.

"Do you think he'd have been happy with what I did with my life?" Nick ventured.

"The years working on cons probably wouldn't have pleased him," Kate stated matter-of-factly, "but I know he'd be proud of what you do now. The first fox officer in the ZPD, top marks at the Academy AND you're on your way to a bachelor's with those online courses. I think he'd be very proud."

Nick took a deep breath and exhaled. Now seemed as good a time as any to talk to his Mom about what he was thinking of doing.

"Mom, there's a position I'm looking at. It's called Liaison-Officer. It operates under the ZPD, but out near The Wild. The Liaison helps coordinate search and recovery of runaways, and they're also in charge of efforts to apprehend fugitives and kit-nappers that make a break for The Wild. I asked the officers at the Glade Station, their chief, and my own, and I just put in a new application. Apparently they need a new Liaison to start next month and so far it seems like I might be one of the only applicants."

"Nicholas!" Kate gasped. "You aren't seriously thinking of doing it."

Nick kept his muzzle down near his tea but lifted his eyes up to let her know, in clear and unspoken terms, that he was thinking of doing it - and thinking seriously.

"It's in the middle of nowhere, far from your home, from your friends, from me. Nick you're a Zootopian, born and raised, and you know the city and its animals better than almost anyone. This is where you should be."

Nick looked down again and thought about how he should explain himself.

"Mom, are you ashamed of me for working with the police?"

She cuffed him upside the head and both of them nearly spilled their mugs of tea.

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde, don't you EVER think you're wrong to have that job!"

"I don't think I am... at least you're still on my side."

"Is this about those hoodlums who jeer at you?"

"They jeer at you about me too. Heather told me."

"Nick, you've gotten somewhere they never will, don't let their opinions affect yours."

"It isn't so much those guys, Mom. It's all the subtle things from everyone else. Vixens see me in uniform, they keep their distance and walk their kits away from me. I've been out of the Academy a year now and doing what I can to encourage younger foxes to join the department, but not a single fox ever even applies. You say I've gotten somewhere those other guys won't, and that's the problem. We heard from the academy that four more rabbits got accepted into the next class. Other smaller animals are applying too, but not a single fox."

"Nick you knew going in..."

"That I would be the only fox in the department, yes Mom, I knew it when I joined. I just... I thought after what I did on that first case with Judy that foxes might look at the law differently, and vice versa. I mean I was doing the work for my own self-interest, but I thought a good result would have earned me a modicum of respect from the broader community and maybe inspired some foxes to try for more."

"Nick honey, we're foxes. You know it's always been this way for us. Did you really think you would turn it all around in one year?"

"No, not completely. But for once I didn't want to just take what's thrown at me and not let them see that it gets to me... because it does, and I'm sick of it. Mom, I thought respect from others wasn't my concern, but more and more I feel how little I have. Not just because I'm thw only fox and no new applicants are foxes, but because of how my own co-workers treat me too. I've been working with these guys for over a year now: sweated with them, bled with them, and still they look at me and speak to me with condescension and distrust. I may be a rookie, and I expected a bit of condescension from the experienced cops, but at some point I'd think there should be some level of acknowledgement of me as a cop, at least when I do my job well. Heck, last week Judy and I chased down a robber, and even though it was a team effort and we both put in the same amount of work to catch the perp, Judy got all the credit for making the bust. She hardly stood up for me when all of the other officers called it 'her' bust. I may wear the blue, but all anyone seems to see is red."

"So what is taking this job, Liaison or whatever, going to do?"

"I want to earn my place, but nothing I've seen convinces me it will be possible here. They've already made up their minds about me. I'm a token officer whose only job is to support Judy. She's my friend and I like working with her, but I can't stay in this job and pretend it's okay when I could do something of substance some place where it's needed. And some place where maybe I could have something approaching respect. That's why I want this job."

"What are you hoping for, Nick? Glory for saving animals from being taken into The Wild where the predators would devour them? Are you thinking you'll come back after your time out there and be respected as a hero? Or is this about your father? Do you want to be there to search for him like when you were a kit?"

Nick spared a small, sad smile. When his mother had told him that his father went to the Wild he went to his room and took up a stick he remembered pretending was his sword. He packed a little knapsack and was stopped at the door by his mother. He said he was going to the Wild to find his Dad and bring him home. His mother broke down crying and held him closely as she sobbed.

Resurfacing from the memory he looked at his mother.

"No Mom... to all of that. I'm not going out there to try and be a hero, I'm going to do a job that needs doing and because I want to. Whether or not I earn respect is on me, but there I think I will actually have a chance that I won't have here. And as for Dad, he's been gone for almost thirty years. As far as it matters, it's the same as him being dead. I admit I feel a closeness in those woods to something... deep in my memories and maybe it's something from the stories Dad told me as a kit, but I'm not going there to find him. I'm doing it because someone has to, and I want it to be me."

"And you're resolved to do this?"

"The application is in, and I'm going to arrange some more discussions with Bogo or Boggs - that's the Far End Chief - if I have to. As far as I know, I'm the primary candidate for the post. If they agree that I should take up the post, then I'll head out at the end of the month."

Kate looked down disconsolately.

"What does Judy think?"

Now Nick looked down.

"I haven't told her."

Kate smacked Nick upside the head again and this time he nearly had to juggle his tea cup to prevent it falling and shattering on the floor. Fortunately he had all but emptied it and did not spill, so catching it did not involve getting scalded. What followed was a long admonishment and another hour of explanations that ultimately Kate accepted, but she made it clear to Nicholas that he was to tell Judy about this decision posthaste.

* * *

Arriving home, Judy hung up her uniform and decided to take a shower. Her apartment was grungy and gross, but still slightly less so than the street, and she tried to keep her home as neat as she could. For a mammal such as herself, she needed only a light spray for a few seconds, followed by a bit of brushing to extract any foreign particles from her fur. A long shower would leave her damp for hours and was ultimately detrimental to the upkeep of her fur. Judy was hardly vain about her appearance, but she did believe in standards.

After showering and removing the water from her coat, Judy got into her pajamas and decided to read some news stories until her parents called. She was mostly at her leisure and figured she ought to wait until Bonny and Stu found a moment where they could call her without needing to attend to parental business in the burrow. She settled into reading an online posting about a recent interview between Gazelle with Mammal's Digest. The interviewer mentioned that Gazelle had recently split from another popstar - Kudu - and was now single. Gazelle was quoted as saying it was a 'mutual split' and that she and Kudu were still good friends. The interview then mentioned that Gazelle was going to take place in a counter protest against the ZFF. Judy had hoped there might be a follow-up on what had happened yesterday, but the story had been published first thing Monday and no follow-up to the ZFF confrontation was there.

"I wonder if they would have mentioned the little bit of chemistry between Gazelle and a certain cheetah officer," Judy wondered aloud. She was not huge on gossip, but when it came to Gazelle, Judy was interested to hear almost anything.

As she went through the article, the indicator on her phone of an incoming call popped up. After a quick breath to ready herself for the onslaught, Judy opened the call.

"Hi, Mom, Dad. How are you guys?"

"Hey there Jude-bug. Doing all right."

"I heard Janey called you earlier today. She didn't worry you too much with that did she?"

"Do I scare that easy?"

"Well I don't know that I'd say scare..." Stu replied.

"No, you've always been fearless." Bonny assented.

"It's just a bit like when we called you on your birthday last year during your lunch break..." Stu interjected. Judy rolled her eyes at the recollection.

"... and the first thing you said was 'Is everyone all right?', and you looked concerned." Bonnie added.

Judy winced and put a paw over her face. She had indeed freaked out a bit when the family had called outside of their normal hours to wish her a happy birthday. In the months before and after that incident she had been called repeatedly - through her radio - to respond to a number of accidents that involved trapped animals. When the brute force of her larger colleagues failed to get animals out of physically-tight situations, she and Nick had been the one dispatched to help. She had been on so many that she started having nightmares about getting the calls through her own phone. A few of those nightmares involved going to help others that she cared about: Gazelle, her parents, her siblings, in one instance she remembered walking with Nick on patrol, then he was suddenly went missing and she had to respond to an emergency that somehow involved Nick himself being the victim. It made her skittish at times when her phone rang during her working hours.

"I'm sorry about that. They haven't really found any other officers my size that can get into the tight spaces in disaster zones. I keep getting called for them and then I have nightmares now and then about the call coming through my own phone and one of you is in trouble."

"Oh I'm sorry dear," Bonny replied.

"You know you can always tell your superiors that you don't want to do things that are so dangerous." Stu insisted. "It isn't a crime to be concerned for your life."

"But it _is_ a crime to shirk my duties, Dad. I could be stripped of rank and privilege," Judy replied. "Besides, I've got the best partner on the force to help me out."

"Oh is Nick with you?" Janey popped into view in between Bonny and Stu. "Hi Judy."

Judy chuckled lightly to herself. "Hi Janey. No I'm off duty and at home. Nick by now I'm sure is at his."

"How is he by the way?" Bonny asked.

"Yeah, he seemed a little distracted this last weekend." Stu added.

"Oh, we were up at Far End and I think he was reminiscing about a whole lot of fantastical stories his Dad used to tell him about the Wild."

"Get him to come back and tell some more, that was a really good story he had last time." Janey added.

Judy thought of mentioning that they had been up there with a vixen, who Nick knew on a more intimate level. She stopped herself when she realized that it was not her business to share such matters, and it had seemed that both Heather and Nick were strictly friends and not boyfriend/girlfriend.

"I'll do what I can. So Janey, how is school? Are you getting top marks?"

The conversation went on for another few minutes. Judy got the quick summary of how everyone in the burrow was doing (or at least as much as she could regarding several score young bunnies). After a little more time she said goodbye and switched off her phone. She decided that the patrol had not been enough exertion and set herself to do some pushups, squats and situps. Tomorrow she would have to tell Nick how many she pulled off and dare him to do more.

"Hmm, that's all I need," she thought aloud. "A duty to perform, a burn in my muscles, and a friend who I can challenge to work harder."

She went to bed, content with those thoughts.

* * *

 _And so it deepens._

 _I wanted to throw in a bit of stress on Judy's end of this. Being the only representative of one's species would not be easy to bear in any position in this world. For Nick that involves some added negative prejudice, for Judy there are subtle, species-based (or at least size-based) expectations without the accompanying disparaging thoughts._

 _Thank you for reading._


	7. Chapter 7

_So Judy continues on in life, though her suspicions about Nick are mounting. Meanwhile, Nick takes the next steps in his bid to become Liaison-Officer at Far End and all without letting Judy know of his intentions._

 _As many of those who reviewed have rightly pointed out, Nick is not handling the situation at the Precinct One very well - most notably keeping the news of discrimination he faces to himself. In many cases w_ _e often keep these personal matters to ourselves, even though the detriment to our situation by maintained silence is apparent. In Nick's case he does not see that appealing to an animal whose first thought of him was an untrustworthy witness. There is a much better rapport between Nick and Chief Bogo, but some things linger and then surface during times of tension._

 _Judy as well is not handling the partnership very well since she is more focused on doing the job and enjoying the life she has constructed for herself and Nick. The problem there being that she has not sought an understanding of whether or not Nick is happy where he is. She just assumes that no news means good news._

 _This chapter has both characters coming to grips with the fact that they are indeed growing apart and they both have different answers for what to do about this realization._

* * *

The rest of the week passed without much excitement as far as police work for both Judy and Nick.

The assignments included patrolling a rally in Savanna Central over proposed measures to rezone several border regions into new districts. Chiefly, this concerned border areas of Savanna Central near the Rainforest, the Rainforest regions near Tundratown, as well as the border of Tundratown and Sahara Square. It was argued that microclimes in these border regions were perfectly suited to particular species and should have specific representation at the level of City Hall. Counterarguments waged about the dangers of how this would open the door to further redistricting that eliminated local cooperativity and pushed all inter-zonal discussion and civic interaction to the city level. It would probably cause some kits to be sent to different schools when they had to move up to higher grade levels, so there were quite a few animals there representing the interests of other concerned parents.

While Judy and Nick kept their attentions on the animals at the rally and worked to maintain order, both were actually rather interested in the policy implications. Not only because it was clear that redistricting would probably affect their patrols, but because they had started taking online classes jointly through ZU that dealt with matters much like these. Right now they were taking lessons in civics and government. Judy liked it for the theory and the high level ordering in the government. Nick had a better appreciation for the animals who had to put the systems into practice and live with them day to day. They made an effective team in study, and it gave them both an appreciation for these rallies.

Thankfully there were no fights between the different protesters and both officers left the emptying rallies at the end of the day with little action having occurred.

That was Wednesday.

The next morning they had to return to the same park square where the rally had been held and were in charge of monitoring the clean up and making sure that regular hoof, paw and foot traffic returned to normal. Some debris was left over from the assembly and a couple of work crews were on site to clean it up.

Judy was excited about Friday, not because they had a day off, but because there was a regata in the Canal district that she was scheduled to go see with Francine. Ever since the departmental shake-up several months back, Judy had gotten closer to her fellow female officers... the weird thing was, she almost invariably ended up asking Nick to come with her.

Friday was their day off because they were scheduled to take on weekend patrol duty. So far Nick had not expressed any interest and had emphatically opted out, citing that he had been pretty worn down by work so far that week and needed some time to himself. Judy though was not the kind of bunny who took 'no' for an answer.

"Come on, it would be a really fun time," she mentioned as they were setting up a road-block to give the work crews some reprieve from the many pedestrians that kept passing through and upsetting the clean up.

"Only one day off before a full weekend of patrol? When almost every other animal in town is off from work? I know you can keep it going Carrots, I need a day to myself."

"But I already said we would go."

"Well I made no such promises, so I would say that's your problem, Fluff. You didn't _ask_ what I had going on, so now you're the one who has to explain it to everyone else."

"Come on, what have you got going on that you can't spare the day?"

"The rest of my assignments with _ZU_ , for one."

"You haven't finished those yet? I was done with those Monday evening."

"I got sidetracked with some other things I had to take care of."

"Like what? And now that I think of out-of-the-ordinary things, what were you meeting with Bogo about anyway? You never really told me."

"It's private."

"And I'm your partner."

" _And_ it's private; end of story."

"No need to be snippy," Judy defended. "I'm just looking out for my friend. Hey, did you put in the call to the Precinct for additional police barricades while we're here?"

"I thought you took care of that. You were the one on the radio with them earlier."

Judy sighed. "Nick, you know if we expect to cordon off an area for more than an hour that we need barricades as well as the Caution Tape you were setting up."

"Yes, but once again, 'I thought _you_ took care of that' since _you_ were talking to the Precinct and you know the regs as well as I do."

"Well you should have checked with me to make sure these ends are tied up. If you're on point, then that is your job."

"When did it become my job to micromanage you? You're a perfectly capable and competent officer, and you're the senior ZPD officer here."

"It's every officer's job to know all that's happening onsite. That includes what the other officers are doing. You should have made sure all was taken care of. Now I think you should take point, so you should radio the Precinct and get what we need."

Nick thought of retorting again about how he should not have to check if a more experienced officer was following a simple regulation. It seemed pretty ridiculous to him that Judy expected him to be entirely managing this activity, especially when she herself was such a competent officer and was by rights the one who should be in charge. Rather than argue further, he bit back his comment and radioed into the Precinct himself. In his talks with Dispatch he admitted a miscommunication with his partner that caused this confusion and made a request for a set of barricades to be sent to them in the park. Nick turned rather silent for a while after that, and was all the more annoyed by the fact that Judy continued to talk with him as if there was nothing unfair in the way she had shifted the responsibility of managing this event to him and criticized the fact that he made assumptions about his teammates being competent enough to follow reg's without his input.

That was Thursday.

* * *

"So Nick isn't coming? That's a first." Jayashri asked as she offered Judy a lemonade. After hearing that Francine and Judy were going to the regata, the other most senior female officer at Precinct One had taken a personal day to make a girl's day of it.

"What do you mean a first?" Judy asked as she accepted the cool, refreshing beverage.

"Well he seems to function like a shadow to you, even on your off days."

"I figured he would come. I've gotten used to scheduling things for us to do on the weekends and then he usually shows up if he doesn't have personal matters."

"Not criticizing, and in a way I do enjoy the bit of charm he brings, I just thought it was unusual to have a break in the normal mode of things."

Judy looked away. "He seemed a little short-tempered when I invited him. I mean, I let him call the shots yesterday while we were on patrol. I thought it would be a good learning experience for him to have point, but he got really testy."

"Well my first time as team leader in the field left me unsure about how to manage. Just make sure you keep the lines of dialogue open and tell him he's being a good leader."

Judy looked askance. She had not exactly _told_ Nick that he was in charge until something had gone awry. She just deferred to him and assumed he would take command. He knew enough now to know how a commander would handle their simple situation. Had he not been willing to take charge because he didn't want to? Or was it because she had not expressly told him to? Nick had developed a lot of drive and gumption in the year he had been on the force and she thought he would leap at the chance to not play second banana to her on one of their assignments. Maybe he just did not have the motivation to leap as high or as far as her when opportunity presented itself.

"...right." Judy nodded as she took a sip. It was warm out, so the lemonade was refreshing.

"Come on, the first race is about to start." Francine told them.

Judy got to the edge of the canal and climbed the railing to where she could look over the top rung, Jayashri rested her elbows on the top rung, and Francine towered over it without needing to rest her weight against it. Mostly she did not lean against it because her couple of tons of weight on that small, metal barricade would probably end in a broken railing and many animals (including her two friends) tumbling into the canal.

"So who's rowing today?" Judy asked as she bent over the top rung and looked down the canal to where the rowers were expected to be coming.

"Well there are the 'Mudskippers'," Jayashri replied. "Those galls have a team of mostly sea lions."

Judy ooed at the sound of a team that had a lot of animals that were naturally at home in the water. Francine shook her head. "I don't think those flippers are going to make the difference. A large body out of water... just extra weight to be lugging around... take it from someone who knows." She chuckled as she patted her midsection. Jayashri and Judy both laughed at the solid thudding sound that came from Francine's tapping. The pachyderm police officer was in great shape and had firm muscles all over. She once arm-wrestled the entire day-shift of Precinct One at the same time and nearly won.

"My money's on the Sheerwaters, that crew has been on a winning streak ever since it graduated from the minor leagues." Francine continued.

"These are still the prelim's, and Cinderella stories may be romantic, but I don't think it's going to happen." Jayashri replied.

Judy avoided getting entangled in the small difference of opinion and just focused on watching the regata. Being from the hills and plains to the southwest of the city she was not used to seeing sports done on the water, so she was just enjoying the novelty of the experience.

The race was lively. Mostly this was just a way for different teams to size one another up and get a feel for how one team dealt with the need to keep up the speed while another, equally strong team, pulled alongside them. Rather than cheer for any one rower or boat, Judy mostly spent her time shouting 'go, go!' to encourage everyone to keep going. It was nice for her that way since it felt like she was a part of every team regardless of who was rowing. A lot of the younger animals around her seemed to be of the same mentality since they took up the chant and just roared, trumpeted, barked, howled, growled and all gave all manner of vocal effusion to chant the rowers on to greater and greater speeds.

After almost two hours the races had tapered off and many of the fans had dispersed. Judy and her girl friends decided to go to a nearby café where they planned to meet up with Geraldine. With friends that had such long legs, Judy felt rather pressed trying to keep up. The normal walking-pace of Jayashri she could match with a little bit of speed, but with Jayashri picking up the pace to match with Francine, Judy was almost jogging to keep up with the group. Thankfully the café was only about ten minutes away - though that was the time needed at speeds that Judy usually employed on a light jog.

A young giraffe sat outside with her head above the parasol, looking at her cell phone on a selfie-stick. While someone like Judy might have used such an extension for taking a picture of a large group with her phone, it was a necessary component of the cell phone for an animal like Geraldine whose eyes were so far away from the reach of her hooves that she needed the stick simply to look at the screen or answer a call. She looked over the screen as her friends approached.

"Well if my eyes are not mistaken, those look like the lovely officers of Precinct One." She stated.

"Hi Geraldine!" Judy exclaimed.

"Hey Judy, Jay' how are you?" she asked the tiger officer.

"Doing okay 'Dine. How are the new digs?"

"Yeah, we haven't heard much since you made the transfer to Sahara." Francine pointed out as she took a seat at the table.

"You guys know it can't compare to the facilities in Savanna Central," Geraldine insisted. "I'm just glad I have a desk and enough overhead room to fit into the space."

Judy and Jayashri took seats under the parasol, they were the only two who could fit under it. Fortunately for their much taller compatriots, the sun was dipping behind some buildings and would soon give them a little shade.

"Well tell us more," Judy pressed. "How's the work?"

"It's murder on my neck, and my hips. I'm glad to be on the beat at last, but this is definitely a young mammal's game. I can't even imagine having to bend this neck so far when I'm in my forties and fifties. Getting statements from animals that are almost all less than half my height..." she shook her head and then looked back at the other officers while gesturing towards the smallest. "I imagine it must be like Judy felt when she had that month-long stint in Little Rodentia before I left."

Everyone nodded and looked sympathetically at Geraldine and Judy as they remembered that rather rough month for the shortest among them. The Little Rodentia Neighborhood Watch had been on high alert after a string of robberies that saw a great deal of the material wealth of the small city being shipped out and distributed among hustlers and pawn brokers all over Zootopia. Since any of the other officers of the ZPD would have flattened whole buildings inside the micro-sized urban space, it had been Judy's responsibility to act as liaison, and indeed it was not dissimilar from what it would be like for Geraldine to always be looking down at everyone just to engage in conversation.

"I know we all evolved to stand upright," Geraldine continued, "but I have to say - I don't think it's _right_ to have _this_ much standing up." She said, pointing her hoof along her body. Judy giggled, as did the others, but Geraldine did have a point. A giraffe had it difficult when it came to operating in a world where she had to interact with others who were mostly nearer to either Judy's or Jayashri's height.

"Still, it beats all the late nights at the front desk. Finally I get to go out and do some law enforcement rather than just work as a glorified phone operator."

"How have you managed to keep you fur looking so healthy? The heat out there would be absolute murder on my skin, I'd be cracked and broken in every joint." Francine observed.

The conversations tended towards asking other minute things about Geraldine and her work for a little while. They all ordered drinks and decided to talk about the latest fashions and movies - most of which they only had heard about from friends who had the time and money for such things. Still it was something fun for them to discuss and it did not have to do with the job they all mercifully had some time off from. Judy was not much for these things given her workaholic lifestyle, but she had been out with her girl friends enough to have a few things to contribute to the conversation. Having been in a burrow full of rabbits and spending a lot of time with her sisters also kept her sharp enough with these kinds of discussions, even though she preferred more serious topics like their work.

As the afternoon wore on Judy began to wonder how Nick was fairing all alone.

* * *

Nick had not lied about his assignments for the ZU Civics & Government class, he just had some other things to take care of this Friday as well. First and foremost: his interview.

He had wanted to get to the head of the line on the application to be Liaison-Officer. For Nick, that meant getting to Far End and talking to the Chief first. Boggs had said he wanted to talk to Wilde again at the earliest opportunity, and Nick already had a recommendation letter from Bogo. When Nick heard 'earliest opportunity', it had translated into 'right now'. If he did not have his commitments to his field work at Precinct One, he probably would have gone to Far End even sooner.

Early in the morning, Nick had grabbed his laptop and copies of his résumé and other work-related papers to bring on the train out to Far End. He spent the time putting the finishing touches on his assignments and got them ready to be submitted once the train reached Far End and the Wi-Fi signal got stronger.

The train seemed to arrive at Far-End almost as soon as Nick got comfortable in his seat, though that was mostly due to his constant mental rehearsing of how he would present his case to be hired. The ticket-taker came through to remind the animals that they had reach Far-End and were to get off or purchase a return ticket. Nick got up from his seat, carrying his pack and shuffling onto the platform with all of the other animals who were going to Far-End this early on a Friday. He sensed that there would be a larger crowd at night when in Zootopia arrived for their weekend away from the Big Jungle, and those who lived out here and needed a vacation would be taking the last train into the city after they had finished their work for the day.

Nick disembarked and sat himself at the café just outside the station where he had a Wi-Fi hotspot. After going over his assignments he hit send on the ZU site and felt pleased to have that responsibility taken care of. He thought of ordering a coffee before going to the Glade Station, but then decided to just hike without it. He considered for a moment that coming into the station with a styrofoam cup of coffee would immediately paint him as some kind of urban wuss in the minds of the other officers, but even more than that Nick wanted to see and feel all that was around him at the station without being addled by caffeine.

The hike to the station was not a long one, or at least he felt that it went quickly. The station looked just as it had the last time he had been there, now with fewer yoga practitioners and permaculturists. Grizz was on duty again, and this time Marten was out in the woods on patrol, so Bambini, the middle-aged Sika deer Nick had only met in passing last time he visited, was on duty. Nick introduced himself to both of them again and said that he had an appointment with Boggs.

"Wow, 'appointment'. It sounds so official," Bambini snickered. "Boggs sees someone when he wants to see someone, or at the very least is around to see someone. Right now he's out with Marten on patrol."

The first natural response 'when will he be back' died in Nick's throat and he decided to ask a question that showed a little more gumption.

"Could I maybe go out and see what they're doing? Perhaps I could help."

Bambini raised an eyebrow. "It's kinda deep in the woods. If you aren't familiar with the terrain there's no telling what you might run into."

"Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained." Nick said as he placed his pack on a chair by the front door and pulled a small canteen of water from a side pouch. Grizz chuckled to see such spirit and went searching through a sheaf of papers at the front desk.

"Here," he waived Nick over. "I'll show you where you're likely to find them. Though if you don't find them in the first half hour then you should probably come back and just wait for the Chief here." Grizz started drawing lines along the trail map he had out on the desk. He circled a region of ground that had several lanes of road that fit between each other like the teeth on watch gears. Grizz's path seemed rather irregular: weaving through one lot, doubling back, cutting through one section, only to crisscross further on and walk over the same patch of ground a second or even a third time. Nick half-planned to just go with the printed lines and wing it, but Nick also knew from experience that actually being somewhere and dealing with available paths and obstructions was entirely different from what one perceived when looking at a map, so the path Grizz laid out would probably be the wiser course. Having been on enough busts (and before that, heists) to know that paper could never truly prepare one for the real world, Nick chose to listen intently to the convoluted path that Grizz described and did his best to follow along. After Grizz wrapped up his explanation, Nick looked over the map, repeated Grizz's statements, said a quick thanks, and headed out to search for Boggs and Marten.

Nick wove his way through the woods, trying to follow Grizz's convoluted path. Though at times he thought of just up and quitting and then walking his own path, Nick tried to go with the recommended route. A couple of families were camped out in some of the different lots. In one lot, Nick found group of possums with several of the younger kits up in the trees, hanging by their prehensile tails. They had not seen a badger or a pine marten, so Nick thanked them and moved on. The next campers, who he had passed within a few meters of, and now came by again through doubling back, were a white-tailed doe and a black-tailed buck who were amiably cuddling by a log fire in a pit. The two looked like they were probably from Zootopia due to their sheer, brightly-colored gear, so Nick introduced himself as a ZPD officer looking for some park rangers. He got no new information from those two either, so he continued on the path.

After a several more minutes, having traversed most of the ground, and still finding no sign of Boggs or Marten despite running into several more campers, Nick thought to look deeper into the woods. Rather than going on a straight path he actually began weaving around the trees and through small brooks in a pattern similar to the one he had been following on the more heavily-traversed ground of the camping sites. Once or twice he even called 'Chief, you there?" and 'Marten, hello?'. All to no avail, the woods seemed deserted. Seeing that a half-hour had passed and that he was now technically late to the interview, Nick called it quits and headed back to the station.

"Well, I struck out," Nick announced as he came in and found Bambini at the front. "I went a little beyond the campsites and never found them. None of the campers said they had seen them either."

Bambini looked up. "Actually, the Chief said to say that now you'd find him in his office. Go on in."

Nick did a double-take. "Wha-What do you mean he's in his office? I was just out on the grounds and didn't find him anywhere."

"It's a big piece of ground to cover. Must've gone over somewhere else you didn't try." Bambini offered. "Anyway, get in there before he gets called away for something else."

Nick recovered quickly and went to the office door, knocked and entered when he heard Boggs give an assent to entry. Boggs was at his desk. He looked fairly comfortable, and his fur was smooth... almost as if he had not left the office or gone through the woods all day. He was bent over his paperwork and did not bother to look up from his scribbling.

"Wilde, take a seat. I'll be with you in a moment."

Nick was feeling a little wary by these observations and the nonchalance of the Chief, but took the proffered seat and waited for Boggs to address him again. He did not wait long, but still Boggs did not look up.

"So, what did you find on patrol, Wilde?"

"On _patrol_ , Chief?"

"You went through one of the main campsites. You must have run across several campers. What did you find?"

"I..." Nick wanted to express indignation at being called to answer such matters when he came to discuss the interview, but Boggs looked like the kind of badger who would not attend to the business of others until his own was settled first. Nick launched into his findings as he recalled what he had seen on this impromptu patrol.

"I came across a family of possums, a few of the kits were up pretty high in the trees, but they seemed to be on solid branches."

"Which lot on the campground were they in?" Boggs interrupted.

"In..." Nick pulled the map out of his pocket and looked it over. "Here, this one, site four." He said, pointing to the site where he remembered encountering the small family. Boggs craned forward and nodded, then gestured a paw for Nick to continue. Now resigned to give this makeshift report, Nick proceeded to fill Boggs in on the particulars.

"A pair of deer in site... six. Seemed like out-of-towners, they had newer-looking camp gear. And..." Nick paused as he remembered something rather suspicious. "Actually, I thought I saw a few animals that I think were there for illegal poaching."

Boggs raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" Still the badger did not lift his head from his own paperwork to look at Nick.

"Yeah," Nick continued. "A-a jaguar and a puma, had a flatbed truck and some tarps in the bed. There was an outline of something long and very slender like a piece of pipe or a rifle barrel. I was thinking rifle because there was an irregular shape on one end that looked like the stock."

"Were they wearing orange hats and camo gear with some tiger stripes?" Boggs finished.

"Yeah, and they were in site thirteen." Nick confirmed.

Boggs nodded. "Don't worry, I know those guys. They're from the Ornithology department in the local university. They come out here to track a few birds that fly through the woods. Sometimes they need to draw some blood, so they bring tranquilizer guns. They're checked out and approved."

"O-Okay," Nick drew out. "Um, Chief I came here to interview you about the Liaison Job. Any chance we could discuss that?"

"Well there is one question that needs to be addressed," Boggs nodded again and finally looked up. "When can you start?"

Now Nick did another double-take. "Wha-When can I...? Chief I just got here and you haven't asked me anything or discussed the job at all."

"Haven't I? I thought I asked what was going on in the grounds I had Grizz send you to look at. Sounds like you did a passable job canvasing. You didn't immediately try to jump on some potential suspects when you didn't have the full story - or backup. You came straight here when you were done, and you had answers when I had questions... far as I'm concerned, interview's over."

"I... you... _this_ was the interview?"

"What do you expect I'm going to have you do here, Wilde? Sit in the office and pretend to write reports while you listen to you iPaw? I expect you to go out in the forest and gather information. Haven't had a LO yet that could do that without strict orders, and finally I got one that does it on initiative. I'm not outright disappointed yet, so I guess that'll do. Now, I think I've done enough explaining my methods and if you want the job then I want an answer: When can you start?"

Nick was used to thinking and acting on the fly and recovered quickly.

"Well I have to confirm with Chief Bogo, and I think it's policy that if... what's his name... Tuske is still physically able that he needs to finish up here before I can come in to replace him. That should be in another three weeks I think."

"All right, talk to Bogo, find a place in town - Bambini should have some suggestions for that - and be here the week Tuske is going to leave. Don't bother trying to learn anything about this job from him, he hasn't learned a thing in the two years he's been here."

"Okay, thanks Chief." Nick said as he offered a paw to shake.

"I'll shake your paw after you're official, Wilde. See you when you start; make sure everything's arranged."

Withdrawing his offered paw, Nick nodded and left the office. Boggs clearly had no more business with him today, so it seemed appropriate to just leave without further ado.

"'Hail the conquering hero'," Marten said from a desk not far from the Chief's office as Nick closed the door behind him. "Nicely done on your patrol. Though I expect the Chief is going to want some written documents the next time you go out and make observations. He may hate paperwork, but he knows it's important. That's why he makes us do it."

Nick looked over at Marten. "Is this normal? Is this how the guy interviews candidates for work here?"

"I don't know if you noticed," Bambini said from the front. "But the Chief isn't exactly the type to entertain nonsense like sit-down interviews since he doesn't really give a damn about your five-year plan." He smirked as he recalled something. "Heck, I got conscripted to help one day while I was just camping here and never left. Came in to ask about some hiking spots, and Boggs just ordered me to stand and watch the front while he attended to a crisis at one of the campsites. I spent the whole day with one of the other officers and at the end of it, Boggs just asked if I wanted to come back and work the next day."

"Aren't you supposed to go through the academy to be an officer?" Nick asked.

"Good thing he didn't make me an officer until I did," Bambini replied.

Now Nick was intrigued. "What were you doing when you got 'conscripted'?"

"Oh just kind of aimless." Bambini replied. "Parents wanted me to be a doctor after I barely made it through chemistry, and I was just trying to 'find myself' after getting some nonsense degree from university," the Sika deer said with a roll of his eyes. "Had no plans, no direction, just bumming around on a camping trip. Then I come into this office, some gruff badger foists a job into my paws and suddenly I have some purpose. So I did my time, got the badge, and never looked back."

Nick chuckled. "I can relate, had a similar experience a while back." The similarity in the story between his own life and what happened when Judy met him were uncanny.

"Wanna have a look around the station?" Marten asked.

"Sure."

Nick was there for the rest of the morning, getting familiar with what they did and what they expected him to do. Boggs did not contribute, but stayed in his office most of the time until he felt like going out to look around some of the sites. The only animal on site even more ensconced in their office was Tuske, who Wilde never even crossed paths with. Later that afternoon, Nick took the train back to Zootopia, still spinning from the whirlwind he had just gone through but psyched about what was coming next.

That was Friday.

* * *

"All right, we have a few new and some slightly used faces coming our way soon." Bogo announced from the head of the meeting room the next morning. Judy and Nick sat at the front in their usual seat.

"First off, Officer Clawhauser will officially transfer from part-time patrol and office work to full-time patrol this Monday."

Several officers took up a cheer and those nearest Ben in the middle of the room clapped him on the back. Judy let out a loud _woo_ , and Nick whistled through his teeth.

"All right, _settle down_." the Chief called order back to the room. "In addition, Officer Tuske will be returning from Far End in three weeks and we have one last call for any interested officers to apply to serve as Liaison-Officer with the branch at Far End."

A few officers blew air through their muzzles and shook their heads. None seemed particularly eager to apply. Nick looked side to side cautiously to see if any of his fellows even considered it. None really seemed to perk up, so he turned back to the Chief.

"Finally, several officers from the most recent class at the Academy are joining ZPD this week. One, an Officer Pole is going to Tundratown and will be matched with an officer there. Delgato, Fangmeyer, and Grizzoli, you will probably be working with Officer Pole as well in your time up there. Here in Precinct One we will be bringing on an Officer Paen. Fellow is a hyrax, so Officer Hopps, I am placing him under your supervision for the foreseeable future."

Judy was surprised at this news. That would mean she and Nick would be rotated out of regular partnership so she could focus on training this new recruit. That could mean a few weeks or even a couple of months before they would be full-time partners again. It would be interesting to have an animal on the force, other than Nick, that was close to her in size. Nick himself would probably be matched with Wolferson or Sharp since he was at least near enough in size to the other canid officers. Judy was enthused about this new responsibility, but felt a little bummed that the Chief had just reassigned them without any forewarning. Still, she was more experienced now than when she and Nick had first been paired, so she felt she had a better idea of how to teach a rookie, and it was the job of the more senior members to prepare the next generation.

"We have another officer: Barkowitz. Wolferson, I heard high praise about this fellow from Friedkin, so you'll do a good job mentoring your new partner." Nick breathed a sigh of relief. He had no desire to associate with the officer he was sure had left hate-speech in his locker.

"In the meantime, Clawhauser will need a temporary partner. Officer Wilde, seems appropriate that while Officer Hopps is working with Officer Paen that you be paired with Clawhauser." Many officers were surprised by this, but then most had not seemed to notice that Judy taking on a pupil would mean that Nick would need to be paired with someone else in the first place.

"Lastly, Officer Punda Milia will now serve as our new permanent desk officer. As for your assignments..."

Nick and Judy left the meeting with the job of patrolling Downtown on the path towards Little Rodentia. Today and the next day would be their last days as partners on the roster for 'the foreseeable future' as Bogo described it. Judy was a little subdued compared to her normal self as she took stock of this fact. The patrol sector they had been given was not surprising since it was more appropriate for officers that were small enough to look at the denizens of the tiny borough without needing a magnifying glass to see their expressions, or requiring the little citizens to have a mini-blowhorn just to be heard clearly. Nick was known by many of the animals in Little Rodentia due to his prior associations with Mr. Big and many of the little mice, voles and shrews preferred not to cross the red-furred officer. It helped win them cooperation in their inquiries.

As the troupe of officers passed the front desk, many waved to the young female zebra who was almost frantically waiving at all of them as they marched passed. Officer Milia was even more chipper than Judy most days, and not being in the field for most of her time at Precinct One had kept her from having her cheerful nature being worn away under the harsh circumstances that the patrol officers faced. When Judy began her shake-up months ago, Milia had soon after joined the department and was only too happy to support the formation of a newer, more tolerant office space. It was one of the things she praised most abut the small rabbit officer whenever their paths crossed.

"So you'll be the one to reintroduce Ben to the field. That oughtta be fun." Judy said to Nick as they made their way down the street.

"I guess I'll be out of some different spots in town for a while. A guy Ben's size means no more work around Little Rodentia."

"Only until I get the new guy working, then I'm sure you and I will be paired up again." She offered. "And besides, you've still got me this weekend, let's make the most of it. I'll race you there."

Before Nick could respond, Judy was already off at a run. It was still early enough that the sidewalk traffic was light and she could race without concern of scaring anyone, or upsetting the flow of traffic. Not wanting to be left in his partner's dust, Nick quickened his pace and eventually caught up to her. They reached their destination at close to the same time and conducted their patrol in collaboration with the town-watch of Little Rodentia. Judy liked to think of the town-watch as her own little troop of deputies who surveyed the tiny city within all the doors and under all of the roofs that she could not get into.

All the while as they worked, Nick thought about what he should tell her about the Liaison-Officer job that he was expecting an offer for any day now. No matter how many opportunities seemed to come, Nick never seemed to feel that it was just the right time to talk to her about it.

Around afternoon when they took a break to grab something cool to drink, Nick decided he needed to at least broach the topic so she at least heard something on the subject from him.

"So Carrots, did you ever meet that guy Tuske? The one who's coming back from Far End?"

She shook her head. "I think we were on different shifts when I first started, and he would have gone to be Liaison-Officer at almost the same time I started. Why do you ask?"

"Oh I've just been wondering about the Far End job lately."

"Lately? When did you hear about it before today?"

"That day when we visited the station in the glade with Heather."

"Oh, was that when you met Tuske? How is he liking it out there?"

"I never met Tuske at all, but I heard from the officers there that he seemed to be 'indisposed' towards the work there."

"Hmm, well it is a long way from the city. Must not be as interesting as what we get to do here."

Not wanting to tip his hand, Nick inclined his head to acknowledge her point. The vendor at the cart they were standing in front of at last procured a beverage for Judy after the vegetables in the blender yielded themselves to the spinning blades and became puréed. Conversation stopped as Judy took a long draw of her drink. Nick got something cool of his own about half a minute later. He waited until Judy had sated her thirst before resuming the topic of conversation.

"Well the Liaison Job looks kind of interesting. I asked about it that same day we were there with Heather."

"Oh, did you? Hey Nick, I meant to ask: you and Heather... is that..."

"I mean Carrots, doesn't it seem like kind of a cool job for a new officer just starting out? You get to see how other offices enforce law, you work on your skills in a new environment, you grow to be better. I think it would be really helpful to an officer that needs development."

"Seems to me one should get better at their job where they belong before they try to get better at one farther away." She replied.

Nick walked alongside her. "Yeah, but you spend all of your time on one job, you get used to just one way of doing something and assume it's the only way. Then you're somewhere different and you have to do it a different way and if you do a good job then perhaps you develop some new kind of understanding to help you in your work no matter where you are."

Judy gave a quizzical glance and a half-smirk to her partner. "What gives Nick? Why all this thought on a job neither of us is going to take?"

Nick gritted his teeth. He was not sure what to make of this now that he had given so much to setting things up for Judy to hear him out and she still acted as if they were in total agreement on what they each wanted.

"Well actually I _have_ given some thought to what a change of pace or location in the job would be like. And everything I was just telling I think makes it an attractive position."

"But Nick, you're a city-slicker. When I think of Zootopia, _you're_ the face that comes to mind. What would you do if you had the Liaison job?"

Though her words were not favorable, but Nick was not ready to give up on convincing her just yet.

"Well I could probably get some more specialized attention on how to do my job as a cop regardless of location. And I could probably get to do some of the tasks I especially like. I talked to those officers and they said they would really like to have an officer devoted to investigative work - like a full-time pseudo-detective."

"But out at Far-End? What's the worse that happens out there? In Bunnyburrow the worst crime we ever get is someone stealing a tractor or a pickup truck. Not much mystery in those problems."

"Maybe not where you're from Carrots, but those guys complained of occasional kit-nappings and even some savage animals that come out of the forest and attack innocent bystanders. Then sometimes animals in the campgrounds get into trouble and they need investigators."

"Sounds kinda dull," she said. "You have to imagine that those cases are pretty rare. Now here in Zootopia, _this_ is where it's all happening - robberies, black markets, riots big and small, and cleaning up the streets - this is what we cops are meant for."

Explaining this to Bogo had made it seem so easy to get others to agree with him. It was a great learning experience and would help him grow as an officer. If a seasoned officer like Bogo could see the merit in allowing him to go, why did Judy fail to see it so clearly?

"Nick, are you actually talking about the Liaison-Officer job, or is this supposed to be an analogy for something else?"

"Carrots, what else would I be referring to?"

Judy thought of mentioning what it was she thought he was directing the conversation towards, but decided not to voice it. She had not been deaf to Nick's statements, but hearing these ideas about getting a 'new perspective', and him having dismissed the question about Heather from earlier was starting to make Judy suspicious about whether he was really talking about the job in Far End, or something more personal and closer to home. To Judy, Heather represented an animal of vastly different perspectives than her or Nick, and since Nick kept talking about new ways of looking at things, she just assumed the Liaison job was a clever re-branding to avoid mentioning Heather by name.

Nick was about to say something, but stopped walking as they passed an alleyway on their patrol.

"Nevermind Carrots, did you just hear that? Down the alley?"

Judy redirected her attention and heard a light rattling on the concrete in the alley between a bowling establishment and a bar. There was a large dumpster between the two buildings, and Judy noticed a few small tails underneath on the other side. Several small animals had congregated in a private/public location and she heard the sounds she had learned to associate with illegal gambling. She and Nick walked towards the dumpster and as they came around the side, a large swarm of rats, voles and mice dispersed.

For Judy and Nick, it was rare to have to subdue such small miscreants, but it was nice to be able to corner and contain an animal with sheer brute-force rather than needing to rely on their wits to gain leverage over much larger perpetrators. Nick towered over the small gamblers and drew his night-stick to hold in their paths and prevent any more from scurrying away. While he did this, Judy took off running after the tiny miscreants. Even for bunnies Judy was fast, and she quickly overtook a small pack of escaping mice and put her foot in their path. A few of the mice and other small animals were clearly a bit tipsy, or appeared to have ingested some other substances that made them imbalanced and unable react appropriately to the appearance of a large foot in their way, and subsequently collided with Judy's foot.

Once the small animals had all been reassembled at the site of their activity, Judy began asking what they had been doing, citing their rapid exit as rather suspicious, and informing them that there was already sufficient evidence on site to implicate them in criminal activity that could range from a misdemeanor to a felony for whoever was in charge. She pointed to the presence of dice as evidence of 'dominant factor', and cited how being in the alley, thus public property, violated city law as well.

* * *

In the end, the dynamic cop duo booked the head vole: Big Teeth, and held five other animals that had outstanding citations with the ZPD. The others were given misdemeanors and had to pay fines down at the station. Judy was the model of efficiency in getting everyone processed, and Nick helped obtain legal counsel for those that chose to dispute the charges. Judy did not really agree to that brand of policing, or to adding work for the public defenders, but she did agree that basic rights of citizens were to be respected and she assisted Nick with that.

At the end of the shift, Nick and Judy parted at the entrance to the Precinct as Nick went down the street in the opposite direction of the subway. Judy asked if anything was up and though Nick wanted to say right then and there exactly what was up, he bit back his words at the last second.

"Nothing's wrong Carrots, I'm just going to go for a walk."

"Nick, you've ...been a bit distant lately. Is everything all right?"

"I'm fine Carrots, I've just had a lot on my mind is all."

"Why don't you seem willing to share any of it with me? I'm your partner and we depend on each other."

"There isn't much to say."

"Seems like there's enough for you to share with Heather... unless your guys's relationship is something more than what I've been made to believe." She replied.

Nick started. "There's nothing going on with me and Heather."

"Then why are you walking in the direction of her yoga studio?"

"I'm walking in a direction away from the subway. I'm not going with the plan to meet anyone."

Judy thought to press it, but she told herself that she had to back off. She had already tried to force her way into what Nick was thinking, and pushing further would probably just drive him even further away. She nodded, gave him a wave, and then started walking towards the subway while Nick went in the opposite direction. When Nick was sure he was out of earshot from Judy - which given her hearing was quite a distance - he decided he did need to meet with someone. He dialed a number on his contact list that he had found himself using rather frequently of late and soon got a response.

"Hey, are you free to meet? I could use some advice." He said. "If you're not busy, I'm close by. I could swing by and take us somewhere to talk."

He then made his way across the street and followed the route he had followed not long ago until he got to the yoga studio. The smells were the same, the crowd looked the same, and it was only a few minutes wait before he met who he was looking for. Heather had just come from some time in the sauna and had rather damp fur and a musky odor. Nick could not help but be recalled to their night of passion not long ago, but he shook himself to avoid following that train of thought. She dipped her head and led him to the same place they had had a late-night conversation. All proceeded much as it had the first time, and then he chose to speak.

"I'm taking the Liaison-Officer job at Far End."

Heather looked at him quizzically. "Was this the opening to a conversation with someone else because I think I missed some of the other sentences to get me where you think I am."

Nick chuckled. "Remember when we went up to Far End the other week, and I stayed in the Ranger station for a little while?"

Heather nodded.

"I asked them about this job for ZPD officers to serve at Far End for a while. They told me they were hoping for someone to take charge of investigations. I went back yesterday, did a very weird approximation of an interview, and the Chief offered me the job."

Heather immediately brightened. "Well that's great! Congratulations!" She reached across the table and hugged him. Nick waited for her to finish before he proceeded with the next important point.

"I was trying to tell Judy today, but... she didn't seem to want to hear what I was getting at."

"How so?"

"Well I was talking about how the job itself sounded cool, I said that I had talked to the Glade Station officers about it during the group trip we had, and that it would be a great way for a new officer to gain better perspective on doing a good job."

"You were subtly hinting that it might be good for you." Heather concluded.

"She thought I was talking about something else. I think she even thought that I was talking about us. Like... maybe she thought I was trying to suggest that I was thinking of a relationship between us."

Heather raised her eyebrows and nodded. "And I take it you didn't explain it further."

Nick inclined his head to one side. "I heard the sounds of back-alley gambling, we busted a little - and yes, I mean little - ring of gamblers, and we never finished the conversation."

"Nick, I won't tell you how to live your life, but at some point you _need_ to tell her. If not for professional courtesy, then _at least_ because she's your friend." Heather insisted.

Nick looked away with a melancholy expression. "Sometimes I wonder if she would even consider me her friend if I didn't want to do things just the way she wants."

"What do you mean?"

"Judy isn't one to suffer counterarguments or any words even somewhat related to 'no' after she's made up her mind. Believe me in the past year or so since I've been working with her she has almost always impeded anything that would change how our lives have been arranged. Just as an example: in the past I've talked about how cool it would be to do detective work - just as an out-loud daydream, and every time I mention it she goes on and on about how we have it lucky to be patrol officers and get to handle the important things that make a difference and interface with the general populace. Then she goes on about how being detective would be boring because they just spend all of their time chasing down leads for cases and dealing with the most depressing aspects of this job. I try to interject and then she just kind of finishes my sentence to agree with her point of view. To her it's like I can't have an independent thought sometimes."

"I don't think that's necessarily the case. Maybe she says it because she likes having you with her and she doesn't want that to change."

"Well I mean, I like being with her," he affirmed. "I just don't want the same things as Judy. I like working with her most of the time, I trust her and she trusts me, but even when I was at the Academy I always wanted to end up in the Detective Bureau after I got some experience under my belt as a patrol officer. When I started working with Judy I thought that in time I would get trained properly, take my exams, and transition to the Bureau with the requisite experience. She and I would always be friends, but I would have a different role at the ZPD; one that made more sense for me. And the whole time I've been with her I don't get the sense that anything I do is preparing me for that job. I'm practically her lackey. She may not see it that way, but it feels like that's what I am to the Precinct."

Heather nodded. "Well, maybe it's time you told her that too." She grabbed his paw and squeezed. Nick squeezed back, glad to have a friend that believed in him.

Outside the restaurant, however, another animal had walked by and witnessed this exchange. She had interpreted the sight to be something very different.

That was Saturday.

* * *

 _And now it comes. Nick is going to have to come clean to Judy soon. The incident at the post-rally is another point about how Nick is being treated, but from Judy's point of view she legitimately is trying to train Nick to be a better cop - she just uses more of a sink-or-swim method of teaching. The big problem in that approach is that the two of them have lost the ability to communicate properly and the result is a failure to cooperate._

 _In the next chapter we see Judy and Nick become partners with new animals, and Nick struggles to tell Judy the truth. He has not - to this point - officially accepted the job since he has no signed document, but he shows every intention of doing so when it comes. Soon he will either need to get Judy on board with the idea, or go outside of the partnership to get what he wants._

 _Thanks everyone for reading._


	8. Chapter 8

_Here we are - the big reveal is come_ at last _. Good news for the two main character is that there will be the buffer of their new partners to ease this transition and force some measure of normalcy._

 _Remember that one of the main themes in this story is going after something important, and dealing with a friend like Judy Hopps. One grows to love her for being such a champion of the right things, and she gets a lot of credit for working so hard for everyone else's sake. However, she has a major weakness when it comes to letting others do what they have to do without her involvement. She cannot step aside and let others take care of themselves - or make their own path in life. If you look back to the character that helps inspire Judy (Leslie Knope: Park and Recreation), you will see where this kind of behavior can lead._

 _For Nick, he knows Judy cares about him, but the main problem for him is that he does not feel like she respects him and it has caused their relation to deteriorate to such a point that he seems incapable of cluing her into his plans because he expects she will just try to take charge of his decisions. After what Judy saw Nick doing in the last chapter, Judy perceives that their problem is a lack of trust rather than respect. Nick is keeping things from her and she is feeling a greater strain on the friendship because of it._

 _Both of them will have a different take on what angers them this chapter and the chapters to come, and neither of them have done a good job of handling these problems._ _This will be one of the greater strains on the friendship, and though it looks ugly, I ask you - good reader - to bear with me as the story plays itself out._

* * *

 _Mmm... what's that I smell?... smoke... is that a fire?_

Nick sat upright in bed and was now quite certain he could smell smoke. He bolted out of bed and quickly made his way to the door of the room, nearly tripping over some clothes along the way. The view in the room seemed clear enough, no smoke danced through any beams of light coming from the window. He got through the door and found some visible vapors in the air wafting about. He followed the trail to where it was thickest and found an incense burner.

 _I don't have an incense..._ _oh wait_.

Nick took a moment to take stock of his surroundings and realized that indeed this was not his apartment.

"Hey, you okay?" came a voice from the kitchen. It was Heather. She walked out in very sheer exercise clothes that Nick gulped at the sight of. Though he did not see Heather as his girlfriend or even involved with, he could nonetheless admire her _very_ attractive figure - and recall the more stimulating engagements he had had with her in the past. He suddenly became self conscious and looked down to realize that he was without even a stitch of clothing. Rather than attempt to cover himself, he launched into a series of confused remarks to try and get a handle on where he was and what had happened.

"What...? How did I...? Were we...?"

"Relax," she said, and her soothing tone allowed him to do just that. "You were sleeping off a little too much beer. We went for some drinks after we talked last night. You were feeling so many things: excited about your new job, concerned about letting Judy know, hopeful that all would be well, and you seemed to have a good time... and no, we didn't do anything physical... though I admit the thought crossed my mind once or twice. I put you to sleep in my bed because I thought someone should be there to get you up on time and give you some aspirin. Speaking of which." She produced the welcome pain-relievers and a glass of water, which Nick took thankfully.

"And now," she continued after he had quaffed his glass, "I think you should collect your things, go home and get changed for work, and tell your good friend about what's happening to you in the near future."

She got him his clothes and after he had dressed himself she marshaled him to the door. Nick thought of making a crack about the 'walk of shame' and how this was becoming a 'regular occurrence', but decided rather to just give Heather one last 'thanks' and get on the early morning subway back to his apartment. Through the grinding sounds of the subway that played havoc with his hangover symptoms, Nick thought back on the previous night and why he had gone to see Heather at all after telling Judy he had no such intentions. Thinking back, Nick could not detect any sense of wanting Heather for a tryst - though it had its appeal when his libido was considered - he just felt like telling someone about the job after having struck out when trying to tell Judy. To him, Heather was someone he could just trust. She was neither his mother, nor one of his fellow police officers, nor a former partner in crime or other affiliate in either of the camps he had belonged to throughout his life. She was a neutral animal who would listen to what he thought was good news and be happy for him.

 _So why couldn't I talk about it with Judy? She's always happy for me._

He remembered the reasons even as he asked the question. He had begun to feel closed off from Judy in the previous few months since the shake-up. His sense of separation had grown considerably in the last couple of weeks to the point that he scarcely felt able to include her in his life outside of work. He even began to remember talking to Heather about it the previous evening. Being taught how to be a cop with rough words and little encouragement, and with the implicit expectations that he would only ever be support for Judy had been driving a wedge between him and her for a while now. Judy's own domineering, type-A personality had done little to assuage his frustrations, and now that he stood on the verge of getting a new job that seemed like an opportunity to actually learn and develop, he found it a major task to even let her know that it was going to happen.

Nonetheless, Heather was right. Judy had to be told, and soon. He owed her that; not because of their friendship, or even their partnership, but out of respect for her as an animal. She deserved at least that much from him, even if he did not feel that she gave him the same kind of respect.

* * *

Sunday shift started and proceeded with little difference from the day before, though Judy felt less inclined to smile than usual. That meant she was smiling for about sixty-percent of the day instead of her characteristic eighty-percent or more. Having seen Nick holding hands with Heather at the café had made her question why Nick felt so compelled to keep secrets. She had enjoyed Heather and did not at all see a problem if Nick felt the desire for a girlfriend. Her own difficulties in the domain of relationships did not seem to be a just reason for Nick to suffer similar isolation, and if he found someone as nice as Heather, then he should of course try to make something work. Judy just did not understand Nick's need for subterfuge and felt put out that he had been so secretive. It was something she had begun to feel more of lately and wondered why it was so hard to maintain basic knowledge about what was going on in his life.

Several times while on their patrol, Judy attempted to strike up a conversation about the previous evening and what she had seen, while Nick tried to broach the topic of Liaison-Officer, but both of them always seemed to want to start at the same time. When this happened, both of them would try to give way to allow the other to actually talk, because they were not sure how well they could voice what they were thinking of saying. In the end, neither of them were able to actually take charge and address the topic that seemed to weigh most on their minds. The result was that neither of them could get a conversation of personal issues going, so ultimately they kept their conversations professional and focused on the job for the whole of the day.

It was frustrating to an almost painful degree, but somehow they never managed to broach either topic and have conversation.

The patrol itself passed without much that was noteworthy. Judy did remind a young moose to move his car once the meter expired, and Nick had to tell some young peccary not to spit on the sidewalk. Various other little infractions popped up, but no major disturbances occurred, and the afternoon passed them by even before they realized it.

At the end of the shift, Judy felt it was only appropriate that since this was their last day as partners for a little while, that they should go do something fun. Nick agreed and they both decided to get their favorite snack-time foods and sit in the Downtown park after changing back into their spare civies in the locker rooms. They chose a bench with a commanding view of the whole park and just sat for a long while, watching young animals meet after work, kits being taken on their last stroll before going home for dinner, a couple of young lovers walking with one another through a less-crowded part of Zootopia - even Officer McHorn on his early evening patrol. When he noticed them on the bench he gave a waive and went by without a word.

Judy wanted very much to broach the topic of Heather, but felt so at peace, having Nick for company on that bench, that she did not want to do anything to disturb the quiet. Nick felt similarly conflicted, but for him it was the realization that if he told Judy about his aspirations and impending job offer now, she would spend the rest of this evening and her first day with the new recruit stewing about how mad she was that he had waited so long to let her know what was going on. In the end, he decided he had better wait until she was a few days into teaching the new guy before he dropped this on her. It was an odd conflict of interests for him - he owed Judy an explanation, and yet he knew the new officer needed a better first impression of his mentor than what Nick knew would be provided if he told Judy right now.

So Nick sat with Judy, and both chose to take comfort in the simple presence of the other - and they waited.

* * *

Monday morning came at last. The day when the partnership of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde would see its first major split.

As Nick approached the precinct, a small, furry animal wearing a ZPD uniform come up to him.

"Officer Wilde, sir?"

Nick was caught by surprise. The only officer on the force shorter than him was Judy, and her large ears made her rather easy to spot. He had almost completely missed this little officer and needed an instant to regain himself and recall that this small officer who lacked his (soon to be former) partner's ears, had to be Officer Paen: Judy's new protégé.

"Officer Paen, I presume?"

"Yes sir. Uh, Travis, sir. Glad to meet you, sir." The young hyrax extended a paw to Nick, who shook it courteously. "I've heard so much about you back at the academy. You and Officer Hopps are the stuff of legends there, sir."

Nick had a bemused grin to offer the enthusiastic young officer. "Might save you some time to just call me 'Nick' and do away with the 'sir', kit. And as for 'legend', well this is me in the fur: just a regular patrol officer and not much else. Speaking of which, the morning meeting with the Chief starts soon so we should be getting to the bullpen."

"Oh, yes sir... uh, Nick. Where is it?"

"Follow me Travis."

As per usual, Judy had come in early and taken her seat up in the front of the room. Nick arrived with Travis only moments before the Chief was expected. Nick took a seat several rows back next to Ben, who gave and received a quick 'hello' in his exchange with young Officer Paen. Judy looked back to see the exchange and was a little peeved that Nick and Ben were sitting so far away. She would have preferred having her friends closer in the meeting since she would not be seeing them for most of the day.

Officer Travis Paen found his way up front and addressed Judy as he stood beside her chair.

"Officer Hopps, good morning. Officer Travis Paen, reporting for duty, ma'am."

Judy smiled down from her half-empty seat and returned his salute.

"Good morning Travis. Hop on up, the meeting 's gonna start soon."

Travis looked at the seat with reverence as if it was some mythical mount that young police cadets dreamed they would one day ascend. He tenuously approached, but then realized that it was rather high for him. Lacking the strong hind legs of Judy, he could not just bound up as easily as she could, but he had good grip strength that he could work his way up one of the legs and seat himself next to Judy. He was seated only a moment before Officer Perkins called 'Attention on Deck' and the door opened to admit Chief Bogo.

Paen bit his lip to contain his glee about feeling the thrill of it all. The official room, the arrival of the Chief, him standing there with his own badge and one of his idols at his side. From his ramrod-straight stance he fought hard to keep from fidgeting with excitement as the contingent began the psyche-up chant to cheer the arrival of the Chief and the start of the day. A few rows back, Ben was similarly excited. He had been on desk duty so long he had begun to forget what he loved so much about being a cop - this sense of everyone coming together to keep their city safe. Both were grinning foolishly.

"Settle down," Bogo called. "Be seated, we have a lot to attend to today. First off, for those who were not here over the weekend, we have some new officers on this shift. Officer Clawhauser is back on full-time patrol duty..." Bogo could not continue over the cheers and shouts of approval that greeted this.

"All right, bring it back, bring it back. Clawhauser will be working with Officer Wilde. We also have Officer Paen joining us today, he'll be working with Officer Hopps."

Another psyche-up chant to welcome the new team members. This one was shorter lived and Bogo did not have to work hard to bring it back down. Travis was beaming to see so many officers welcoming him.

"Now for assignments..." the Chief began.

Later, as Judy and Travis left the room with their assignments to monitor foot traffic around the Savanna Central Station - and Nick and Ben prepared to head out to Peak Street and Lionheart Avenue in the center of Zootopia - Judy offered a suggestion to the four of them as they crossed the atrium.

"How about we all go out after the shift and celebrate two first-days for you guys," she said, referencing Ben and Travis.

"Sounds good to me." Ben replied.

"Sure, I'll buy us a round at MacHind's." Nick assented.

"I... uh..." Travis had a wide-eyed, stunned expression about this whole plan. To be asked to go out with these academy legends was beyond what he had dreamt of back before graduating.

"Did you have something to take care of after work, Travis?" Judy asked.

The younger officer recovered himself. "No, no I just um... wow, yeah that, that sounds great."

"Okay," she nodded slowly as her new partner brought himself back into the groove. "So we'll meet here at the front after work and head to MacHind's. They have some specials on Monday I've been wanting to try."

The four officers began heading for the atrium door. Nick was going to remind Ben that their assignment was far enough away that a squad car was appropriate when Chief Bogo called out to one of them.

"Wilde, can I speak with you a moment before you head out?"

The fox officer waived Clawhauser on and went back to the bullpen. He closed the door behind him, making sure to get his tail clear before it could get caught.

* * *

Bogo looked down at Wilde from the podium.

"I just got a message from Chief Boggs at Far End. He says he wants you to start as the new Liaison-Officer at the beginning of next week."

Wilde felt his face fall.

"Chief I... so soon? I thought I still had two weeks."

"Time table's been moved up, they want to replace Officer Tuske as quickly as possible and he is willing to have conclude his contract this Friday. Hopps is going to remain with Paen, and Clawhauser I'm planning to partner with Barkowitz. If you plan on taking the job as Liaison-Officer, you start next week. They have a temporary apartment you can use if you still need time to find a more permanent one. You are still planning to take the job, aren't you Wilde?"

Wilde suddenly felt the weight of the decision fully upon him. This was it. If he said yes, and then signed his documents, then that was two years of his life that would be spent in Far-End, and he had no way out of it without resigning from the force entirely. His life here in Zootopia would be on hiatus while he undertook this job, and he would probably never get things back the way they had been. Realizing that that would mean his relationship with Hopps would never get back to where it had been made Wilde all the more nervous about what this decision meant.

Hopps... no, _Judy_... was his friend. She had stood by him when others had dismissed him as an untrustworthy fox. She had made it possible for him to get into the academy and become an officer. Now he was planning to leave her and he still had failed to mention this to her even once. It gave Wilde a sick taste in his mouth and for an instant he felt like spitting out a disgusted 'no'.

Then he remembered: the responses from the other officers here after the shake-up - the hate-speech in his locker - the cold, disapproving approach to his training that the other officers used, and which Judy had begun to adopt - the nicknames in his neighborhood, the mockery... and suddenly Wilde could not understand why he was hesitating at all.

"Yeah, Chief. Yeah, I'm taking the job." He replied. Once the words were out of his mouth it all felt right. He wanted that job to start as soon as possible, and he would not be completely content until he had gone to Far-End and started his work.

"Then I'll make the arrangements. You should be getting a contract either today or tomorrow. I'll need it signed immediately so we can process your transfer."

"Can do Chief."

"That'll be all Wilde. Carry on."

Wilde gave a quick salute and left.

* * *

"Hey, where'd Nick go?" Judy asked as she looked around and noticed he was absent.

"He got called back into the room by the Chief." Ben replied.

"Huh, that's the second time in as many weeks that Nick's had to meet privately with the Chief. I wonder what it's about."

As Judy spoke, the bullpen door opened, and their favorite fox officer re-emerged.

"Hey partner, what was that about?" Ben asked.

"Just a follow-up about something I asked the Chief about last week. Anyway, we should probably hit the streets. See ya' Carrots." Nick said as he and Ben headed for the motor pool. Judy waved to them and headed out the front door with Travis.

"So Travis, are you stretched and feeling warm?"

"Yeah I guess Off- uh, Judy. Why?"

"Well I figure we can make some good time with a jog. Come on, follow me."

She took of at a light trot, and Travis scurried after her.

* * *

While Judy and Travis raced one another to their section, Nick and Ben headed to the motor pool to get a squad car.

"I still bet I could run all the way there." Ben was bragging as Nick hoisted himself up and adjusted the seat to fit his shorter stature.

"I bet you could too. But would you be able to get there on time, do your patrol in the requisite period, and respond to any crises within the area? I know you've gotten back into shape Ben, but you gotta know your limits too."

"Ah now I wish I had Judy for a partner. She'd probably race me there."

As Nick got into the driver's seat of their car he admitted that Ben had a point. "Yeah she might have. Tell you what, I'll race you at the gym after hours sometime this weak if you want. But for now we gotta look sharp while we're out there. This is the ritzy part of town. There's decorum to consider."

Ben nodded. "I guess."

Nick popped open his aviators, set them on his nose, pulled the squad car out of the parking spot in the motor pool and started driving to the street. He exited and followed his intuition about what streets at this early hour would be the least crowded. With his knowledge of Zootopia, he was at Peak in next to no time at all.

"I didn't hear about any disturbances out in this part of town? You?" Nick asked Ben.

Ben shook his head, even though Nick was facing out of his own window. "Haven't heard of anything that needs any serious attention. And Milia didn't mention anything unusual from the dispatch earlier when we were heading out. Maybe it's just random patrol. Showing up, making sure the populace knows we're still around. Well, let's get started."

Ben opened the door after Nick parked in front of one of the municipal buildings, a court of one kind or another, and set his cap in place. The cheetah officer took a deep, torso-expanding breath and exhaled firmly.

"Great day to be out, huh Nick?"

When the smaller officer did not respond, Ben turned around to see what he was up to and found Nick staring off in some random direction out his side of the car. Ben leaned against the door frame of the vehicle and tried to get his partner's attention.

"You okay Nick? You look kinda far and away."

Nick shook himself and looked back at Ben, then started to unbuckle and open his door. "Sorry Ben, my mind wasn't here just now."

"Anything the matter?" Ben asked as Nick closed his door and they locked up the cruiser. Nick thought on his answer for a moment, and then decided that telling a major gossip was probably not the solution to his current dilemma. Ben was a good friend, and Nick had no doubt that the big cheetah could be relied upon to help under fire and face down threats - but private matters seemed like the sort of thing to keep Ben out of until it concerned him personally.

"No, no I'm all right. Just a number of things happening all at once."

"I can't believe I'm back on the beat again - _permanently!_ This is a whole new kind of awesome." Ben beamed as he looked around the street where several animals in suits were getting into work.

"Well, glad I got to be the one to go with you." Nick replied.

"Sorry it pulled you away from Judy. I hate coming between friends."

A hiccup caught in Nick's throat. "Well she seems psyched to be teaching the new recruit. I'm sure she's fine."

"Are you kidding?" Ben turned to look at Nick. "I bet she's missing you like crazy. Every morning when she came in before you, she always brings you up in conversation, no matter what the topic is. That one week when you got a really nasty flu and were out for a couple of days, she wanted to tell the Chief that she was getting symptoms just so she could go and take care of you. I mean she didn't, she's a terrible liar, but she was willing to give up her own sick days to go spend some time with you."

Now Nick was feeling really down.

"Yeah, that's Carrots for ya'. Too much goodness for her _own_ good... hey how about we change up the order of the patrol. We'll head up north and work our way south. Do the standard route in reverse."

"Sounds good, let's hit it." Ben began marching in earnest up the street, and Nick hustled after his exuberant new partner.

* * *

"You know Officer Hopps I... I already ran a half mile before coming into work today to settle myself, but I didn't expect we'd have another workout so quickly." Travis breathed heavily as he worked to steady himself after the run to the patrol site with Judy. She had not even begun to feel any heat in her ears, but only felt her heart pumping a little faster and stronger, so she was surprised that such a fresh recruit was already needing breathe deeper.

"Again Travis, it's Judy. Better get used to this if we're going to work together, I move fast and so does the job. This work is gonna demand the best of you and more. For little guys like us, we have to make up for size and strength with agility, speed, and smarts. You need to be ready to adapt at short notice or you're gonna get left in the dust when it matters most."

Travis nodded. "I'll do my best."

"Well, now we can walk. We'll cool down that way."

"Sure. Say, Judy I was curious. What was that you were saying about Officer Wilde?"

Without fail, Judy felt her thoughts go right back to the previous night, and that café where she saw her partner actively lying to her through his actions.

"Oh, he... it's not important Travis. Why don't we start with some basics here. We're at the corner of a busy intersection. We have average-sized thoroughfares off to the side there, an entrance to the train station right ahead, and a community for smaller animals off the to the other side there. Where should you have your focus?"

"Well... um, I guess where there are problems is where we should be." Travis offered.

Judy gave a chuckle. "Yes, true. But until there's trouble, where should you have your attention?"

She gave Travis less than a second before answer herself. "Everywhere: the streets, the sidewalks, the windows, the storefronts, and _especially_ your own phone in case you get a message from dispatch."

Travis nodded and followed Judy as she led him down the sidewalk and continued to rattle off the things to be keeping in mind on patrol.

* * *

Later in the evening, after the four officers returned from their respective patrols and dressed into their civies, Judy led the way to MacHind's. Both Ben and Travis were psyched after their respective first days on patrol and actually began comparing what they each did that was so awesome.  
For Ben it was getting to wander down each street, greet animals with his 'good day citizen' style of talking to others on the beat, and getting to see so many animals going about their day in a leisurely, calm manner. He said that at his desk job he always had to deal with animals that were panicked about missing mammals, aggressive criminals, or damaged property. To finally see others in a calm, normal, everyday-way was a huge perk for him.  
For Travis it was the sheer diversity of all he got to see. The Downtown sector was where animals were coming into the city from the surrounding areas or going out again, and Monday was a high traffic day for those that caught the red-eye trains back to Zootopia. Judy had been equally pleased to feel the exuberance of seeing such diversity of animals, lifestyles and all manner of things. Her sunny disposition with regard to Zootopia meshed with that shown by Travis and she was happy to admire it as well.

Nick felt his mind still weighted down with the fact that he would have to leave soon, but he decided that Judy alone should have to hear this news. Travis and Ben both seemed so happy that he did not have the heart to bring this issue up with them around. He would have to wait until they went home and then he could talk to Judy alone.

The four of them got a booth at the bar and ordered a round of drinks. Ben asked them not to order any fried bar food since he wanted to keep from falling back into old habits, and everyone agreed. Judy, on principle, stuck to virgin drinks, but the three males went for some strong beers. Ben regaled young Travis with his time at the academy and his old athletic records, then some of the horror stories about being on the beat that lead up to his injuries. Travis listened wide-eyed and pumped the large cheetah for more. Judy played down any of the stories Ben shared that she had been around for. Nick enjoyed hearing Ben's stories, even if he knew parts were embellished, so he just let the big cat talk.

For over an hour, the four of them sat in that booth and exchanged stories, mostly about the academy. Judy wanted to talk about some of the things she discussed with Nick on regular occurrences, like politics and things related to their classes, but since neither Ben nor Travis were taking or had taken these courses (so far as she knew), she decided not to delve into those topics. She also wanted to discuss pop culture, in particular things about celebrities like she had on Friday with her girlfriends, but since Ben was the only one at the table that she knew would see eye-to-eye with her, and Travis was still getting his paws under him at this job and still getting to know her, she decided to save it for another time.

After a little more talk, and one or two more rounds of drinks, Ben stood up from his seat, threw down enough for his drinks, plus tip, and said he had to be getting home. Travis mentioned that his apartment was a little ways away and he still had some unpacking to do, so he did the same. Everyone exchanged goodbyes as the two newest patrol officers shuffled out of the booth.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow Travis," Judy waved to him as he left. "Rest up, you always need sleep if you wanna have a clear head the next day."

"Good night," Ben said as well. "Remember Nick, we've got a race in the gym that you promised me, and I don't plan on having drinks tomorrow. Better bring the track clothes."

Nick smiled deviously. "Looking forward to it Ben, see ya. Bye Travis."

"Bye Nick."

Once Ben and Travis had left, it was just Judy and Nick. At last, Nick felt ready to share - and very desirous of having the matter out and over with.

"Hey Carrots, you're not heading out yet are you?"

"Not just this second."

"Good, I wanted to get a chance to talk."

"Yeah me too. I had something to ask you."

Nick gritted his teeth. He had been looking forward to the opportunity to finally broach the topic of his transfer. Still, he felt his news would probably be heavier and more serious than what she said. Plus, letting her go first might put her in a more receptive mood regarding what he had to say.

"Okay, why don't you go first."

"Well... last night after we parted ways, I overheard you calling someone - big ears, remember. I didn't hear specifics, though."

"Oh... yeah I... I had planned on just going for a walk and then home, but then I wanted to discuss something with Heather and I just... I don't know, my paws went and did their thing without much say-so from me."

"You know Nick, if I were with someone I would let you know. I don't have any problems with you having a girlfriend; it doesn't complicate our friendship. You don't need to keep secrets."

"Carrots, nothing's going on there. I told you so last night."

"Not the impression I got when I saw you two at that café." She regretted saying it the moment it came out her mouth.

Nick bristled.

"Whoa, did you follow me?"

"I... I got curious, I felt you wouldn't tell me the next day if I asked so... yeah. I followed you, saw you go into some café with Heather, and that was it."

Nick exhaled. "I had something I needed help working out in my mind, and she seemed like a good source of advice to turn to at the time."

"Isn't that what your partner is for? Why couldn't you share it with me?"

"Not everything I do has to come under your scrutiny or requires your oversight Judy."

There it was. He had used her proper name in conjunction with an admonition - now the gloves were off and it was a bare-paw scuffle, figuratively or otherwise.

"Excuse me for thinking that one partner should be a go-to for anything serious in the other partner's life. What's gotten into you?" She asked rather peeved at his tone.

"It was something about us and our work relationship and I needed some outside suggestions, that was all."

"Suggestions about what? What _about_ our work relationship?"

"Can I please just tell you what I wanted to tell you? It ties into those questions."

Judy fumed a little, but nodded to say that she was listening. As Nick got ready, she took a sip of her drink.

"I got... well I got a job transfer." Nick said matter-of-factly.

For a moment Judy had something of a cognitive dissonance and responded with denial of this statement which sounded, in her ears, utterly absurd. Nick had no reason for a transfer; he had a job. He was a cop here in Zootopia, specifically he was her partner. Her denial came out as a mild titter and then a verbal response as she set her drink on the table.

"Nick, what do you mean a _transfer_? You have a job and you're doing well at it. And I'll only be with Travis a few months before we're back to being the dynamic duo."

"Well I think I could learn to be a better officer with a little more training in another job for a while."

"More training in... wait, the Liaison-Officer position?" Pieces had started to assemble in Judy's mind.

"Well for two years yes. Then hopefully I can take the test to join the Detective Bureau and I'll come in with more of the requisite training to do that job right."

"The De..." Judy was now growing concerned she was having a stroke. She put her paws on her head to steady her whirling thoughts. "Wha-What do you mean two years and then the Detective Bureau, am - am I still hearing correctly?" She asked.

"Well I mean I always wanted to be a detective. I mentioned that when I started at the academy. And Far-End actually wants someone to do casework on something of a full-time basis. So I applied for the job and I got it."

"You... you... oh wow my head _is_ spinning! How... how could you have done this and not said anything to me?"

Nick looked away for a moment. Lying at this moment seemed like an attractive option, but after the things Ben had said, and all of his memories about his year as Judy's partner, he realized that she was owed the truth, even if it was the less appealing option.  
"I was afraid you wouldn't be supportive. That this was something you would fight me on."

"So you went... you went around my back and applied for this job without telling me? And now you're just going to accept it and I'm supposed to just be okay with it?"

"I know, I should have said..."

"You should have said _something_ ," she finished. "You should have told me about it as soon as you had an _idea_. You should have asked me if I was okay with you tearing up the partnership and going to live out some childhood fantasy in the woods."

That last remark stung, and Nick grew defensive.  
"And this," he held out a paw in the form of presenting Judy and her outrage as something to behold, "is why I didn't tell you. You don't care to hear my side or try to understand it, you just get upset because it screws up _your_ plans for me."

" _My_ plans for you!" Now she was raising her voice and a few animals were looking over at them. "I brought you in as an adviser on my first case and recommended you for a spot at the academy even though you didn't have the qualifications. I asked for you to be my partner so we would both have someone to help us do this job. I have busted my tail to make you the cop that I knew you could become, and you turn around and do something like this?"  
Judy punctuated the statement with a few tears that she had lost control of. They trickled down from her large eyes and stained her fur.

The arguments Nick knew he could bring to bear suddenly died in his throat. Seeing Judy so hurt and so sad just killed any spirit for argument left in him.

"I cannot believe you would do something like this," she continued. "And to me, of all animals, I... I have to go, I... I have to go." She got off the bench and began scooting out of the booth and heading for the door. Nick put his paw over his eyes and leaned into his the open paw with a shameful heaviness. A few seconds later he heard the pattering of her feet as Judy came back to the book. She hopped up just high enough to put a few bills on the table before leaving again without looking at him or saying a word.

After the door closed behind him, Nick looked down at his drink and remarked in a glum tone: "Well... I guess that could have gone better." He downed the last of his drink and scooped up the money to go pay off the tab. After paying, he walked out and decided to skip the subway and instead walk all the way home with his tail dragging low; his spirits felt lower still.

* * *

While Nick made his way across Zootopia in dejected form, Judy came into her apartment building on a complete tear. She was so steamed about what had happened that for several minutes after getting into her room she just paced in nervous agitation, thinking and looking for something to scream at, hit, or run herself headlong into.

The turmoil in her mind was soon imposed upon by the turmoil of arguing next door by Bucky and Pronk. Judy walked to the far end of the room and pounded her head on the opposite wall several times before some animal in the other apartment shouted for her to stop making noise. That made her even angrier.

Turning to one of her last resorts, Judy pulled on the cord near her door and allowed a small punching bag to be lowered from a pulley on the ceiling. When it was at about her head level she tied off the rope, put on her boxing gloves, and spent several minutes just smashing the bag with her paws. She did not even bother to duck and weave as the bag swung her way, she just hit it harder and harder. She did not even take the time to visualize anything, she just hit and hit and hit.

In all of the pounding she started to grunt, and with each hit just grunted louder and louder, partly to let out her anger and her sense of hurt, partly to drown out the arguing of Bucky and Pronk. She kept punching and punching until her paws were swelling within her gloves and were starting to hurt her. She only stopped when she saw a small amount of liquid flash on the surface of the bag under the light. She took a moment to examine her gloves and found that a bit of blood had begun to collect on the surface. She ripped the gloves off and found both paws raw and with a small amount of blood oozing through some open cuts. Her eyes began to form pained tears and she went out her door to the communal bathroom to rinse them. She winced under the water and scrubbed the blood off until the water no longer had any red stains in it. As she scrubbed the arguing between Bucky and Pronk reached a crescendo, and Judy felt so inundated by everything - her thoughts, her pain, and the arguing - that finally she could not stop herself.

Judy marched to the door of Bucky and Pronk and noisily wrapped her swollen and bloody paw against it. Pronk was the one to answer with a curt _what!_ , and Judy let loose. Her calm voice slowly rising in agitation.

"Could you both... for one night... just SHUT UP!"

Pronk took a shocked step away from the door upon hearing this outburst from their little rabbit neighbor. In the instant of surprise that followed this outburst, Judy actually reached past the door frame and into the other apartment, grabbed the handle on the door, and slammed it shut as she turned down the hall and stomped back to her room. When she got into her own room the noise next door had quieted, although Judy felt her heart pounding so heavily that the rush of blood in her ears drowned out all other sound.

She got into bed and lay there for hours with throbbing paws, and only after some time did she drift off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, spirits had not improved for either Judy or Nick. Both came to work with grim expressions and sour attitudes. Judy kept her head down the whole morning briefing and could not bring herself to look at anyone, not the Chief right in front of her as gave her the rundown of the day, nor Travis who shared the chair with her. She could feel Nick just over her shoulder and several seats back. She wanted to see if he was just looking her way with that nonchalant expression as if all was fine, or if he was as upset as she was, but she could not bring herself to look back.

"One last bit of news," the Chief said as he wrapped up his announcements. "As I have mentioned over the last few weeks, Officer Tuske will soon be returning to full-time duty here at the precinct, and we have concluded a search for his replacement as Liaison-Officer. Officer Nicholas Wilde will be taking a leave of absence for the foreseeable future to assume those responsibilities with our sister precinct out at Far-End and serving as the Liaison-Officer at that branch. So let's wish him the very best, and hope he doesn't make us all look bad."

Despite the brusque delivery, Nick knew the Chief was giving him esteem in his own bullish way. In response, Nick mustered up enough courtesy to sit upright and be seen by all of his fellow officers as this news was delivered. He smiled back at them when a solid round of applause was given and nodded in gratitude when Ben clapped him on the back. A few other officers from nearby gave him shoulder taps and back thumps as well. Looking up ahead, Nick could see that one animal in particular would not look his way and still had her ears resting on her back in a posture that screamed that she would rather be anywhere else. It did not help that right beside her, the young hyrax officer was looking very surprised, but clapping vigorously while looking at him.

After the assignments had been handed out and everyone made their way out through the lobby, Ben had to open his big mouth.

"So why didn't you and Judy tell me you were transferring? That's great news. We could have had another round last night to celebrate."

Nick winced. "I... don't think this is something all of us are excited about Ben."

"What are you talking about? This is gonna be great for you. I've met some of the officers out there. Looks like the kind of place that really preps you to be a _beast_." Ben punctuated this last statement by saying 'beast' in a deep tone and thrusting out his chest. Despite himself, Nick found himself able to give a laugh in the exchange.

"Yeah it looks like it'll be good for me," his eyes strayed to Judy who was walking with a forward slouch that told everyone she was in no mood to be stopped. Nick knew he had to say something before she took that attitude out on the beat with poor Travis at her side.

"Hey, just a minute Ben, I'll be right back."

Nick quickly caught up to Judy, who spoke harshly the moment his red fur came into view. Due to her strong peripheral vision, that happened before he even got around her.

"I have nothing to say to you." She said stiffly.

"You have _a lot_ to say," he corrected and her eyes took on a death-glare that she aimed his way. He felt cowed by her cold glare, but he nonetheless continued. "And you have every _reason_ to say a lot of it. So how about for now you put it away, be nice to Travis, and then after work you let me and _me alone_ have it?"

Judy was peeved like he had never seen her, but thankfully she was also still in full control of her logical, reasoning faculties and decided that that was probably a good suggestion. Judy fumed for a moment, but she steadied her breathing enough to then point her paw at Nick intently.

"I'll be speaking to you the moment you're off the clock, and don't think for a _second_ that you are going to be able to explain your way out of this."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Nick replied sarcastically.

Judy continued marching toward the door, but she straightened her posture and took a deep, steadying breath before she exited to where Travis was waiting for her.

Nick walked back to Ben, thinking that the sarcasm probably did not help things.

"Woah, why is she so upset," Ben asked. "I've never seen her _that_ mad."

"Yeah well, what are you gonna do, huh?" Nick tried to shrug it off, despite not feeling so nonchalant. "You wanna drive today, partner?"

"Hmm, sure. Actually that reminds me. If you're going to Far-End, who's going to be my partner after you go?"

"I think I heard Barkowitz is going to be working with you. The Chief has a plan."

"Lucky they found someone to work with Judy before you had to leave. Can you imagine how hard it would be to find another animal her size without you around?"

Nick grimaced. "Yeah... yeah... but they did so not a problem. Dodged a bullet there."

"Ooh, don't say that," Ben gasped. "My old instructor back at the academy said that's like saying 'MacBark' in a theater. You _always_ get bad luck at this job when you use idioms about bullets."

For a moment, Nick forgot his issues with Judy and gave Ben a bemused look.

"Never heard that from anyone at the academy. Who do you know that used to say that?"

Ben regaled Nick with more stories as they headed out to do their job.

* * *

"You seem pretty steamed Officer Hopps. Have I done something wrong?" Travis asked as they walked along.

The morning patrol was almost half over and in the few hours the two smallest ZPD officers had been out, Judy had spoken less than ten words. Though she kept herself calm, she was also so involved in her inner frustrations and images of how she would lay into Nick at the end of the day that she was not being very attentive to the task at hand.

Realizing that she had been dismissive of Travis she shook herself and brought her mind back to the present.

 _He's your responsibility, and he deserves better than this. Pull it together, Hopps._

"No, no I'm sorry Travis. I had harsh words with someone about a breach of trust and I'm still upset about it... but we're here and have a lot to do, and you need me to be here. So let's start again. Repeat back to me our assignment and how you plan to proceed."

"Right, so we posted the warnings about break-ins at those stores in Shady Place all along that last boulevard, and you said we were going to go ask some of the residents and the animals in the stores if they had seen anything suspicious."

"Good, and who should we be targeting with our inquiries?"

"Well the animals that got robbed should be the ones to talk to I thought."

"The night officers already talked to the owners and got reports, who do _we_ want to talk to right now?"

"Um..." Travis struggled but could not come up with an answer. He looked back at Judy and shook his head.

"All of these shops are open twenty-four hours, so what does that tell you?" She pressed.

"They were open at the time of the thefts? ...but we know that... the animals who live nearby may have seen something?" He offered.

"We can check them out if there are any well-known night-owls, but think about this for a moment: the hours are long. What does that tell you about the staff?"

When Travis did not answer - and Judy did not give him long - she answered her own question. "The staff needs shifts - for early morning, and afternoon, and then a different shift for evening and nighttime, and usually there is a particular time of day that the money up at the registers that was earned during the day is moved to the back offices and placed in a safe. The perpetrators must have known what time transfers would be made because that was what was stolen. The perpetrators also knew that those were the times when only a minimal staff was present, since they hit _just_ before the employees switched. Are you following?"

Travis nodded slowly and took a minute to sort things out before he responded.

"Are you saying 'inside job'?" He asked.

Judy tilted her head. "Possible, but what I'm thinking is that the overlap in shifts is something the perpetrators would have to know from observation so that they deal only with the staff that had been on at night for long hours, not the new day shift coming in. It's possible that the thieves had to canvas the area and know when the earlier shifts started - or they asked around about when they started. Either way, we have to ask questions from the animals that the other officers did not think to question. Those that come in after the transfer is made."

"Wow, it's exciting, all this deduction and snooping!" Travis exclaimed.

"Yeah, piecing together crimes after the fact has its charm. I got to thinking my way through these things after all of the times that Nick..." Judy bit back that part where she was going to say that Nick was the one who taught her to think like this. His years as a con-artist taught him the delicacy of canvasing before a job, and though he never outright stole anything, the operating procedure of criminals was not too dissimilar from how he used to pull jobs.

Judy pushed the thoughts down and proceeded with Travis. "Anyway, let's start with the first store to get robbed."

Matters concerning Nick could wait. She had a job to do.

* * *

 _At last we have arrived. Nick has had to move up his time table, and is a go for becoming the next Liaison-Officer at Far-End._

 _Apologies for the melodramatic tone, but the characters themselves built the situation up and up until it boiled over in this way. I mentioned in the first page of my first story "Zootopia: Shake-Up" that Judy would be based heavily on Leslie Knope and would have similar self-involved methodologies, and I have tried to be faithful to that persona. To be sure, Nick did a poor job of handling this situation on his side of the matter as well, but for him there is a sense of impotence when it comes to his work and the interactions he has with Judy due to her strong will._

 _Judy is one of the few animals on the force who is normally on Nick's side without hesitation, and she supports him and deeply cares for him. However, she has a bad habit of listening strictly to the things she wants to hear and morphing the other things she hears to match her desires. (Watch Parks and Recreation and see how the character Leslie tries to have a relationship with Ben when it is against the rules, or when she tries to get Anne hired to City Hall because it is specifically what Leslie wants... she gets tunnel-vision when it comes to her desires, and Judy is much the same way)._

 _Some more discussion between Nick and Judy is on the way, and this will be a recurring theme for much of the rest of this story as the two of them work to settle the problems that have led to the events of this chapter. I am going to do all I can to make this whole debacle of a personal situation worth the frustration the readers have expressed in regard to the characters. Remember that they are mortal, limited individuals doing the best they can._

 _Keep reading._


	9. Chapter 9

_Welcome back to those that decided to stick with us after that last chapter._

 _The story now deals with the fallout_ _of Nick_ _telling Judy he has a job lined up with Far-End (roughly a week before he has to leave). Now is when Nick is going to get a stern talking to, but he will also let Judy know what has brought them to this juncture and why he has made these decisions._

 _SPOILER!_

 _I have heard some readers express concern that Nick will back out of his new job due to the need to salvage and maintain his friendship._ _He will not give up the job. I did not set up Far-End just to let it fall away for the sake of drama. There will be stories taking place out there, as well as some very pivotal events in the stories yet to come._

 _END SPOILER!_

 _Let us begin._

* * *

Judy came back from her shift with Travis and was counting the moments until she could wish him a good evening, and confront Nick face-to-face about what had happened the previous evening.

As she came into the atrium of the precinct, and Travis said goodbye before heading to the locker rooms, Officer Punda Milia waved Judy over to the front desk. Judy diverted course and bounded over to the desk.

"Hi Milia, now's not really a good time, I'm scheduled to have an important conversation with someone."

"Oh, well then I won't keep you long, but I wanted to let you know that Nick stopped by about twenty minutes ago and asked me to give you this."

She presented Judy with a sticky note, which Judy took and unfolded right there.

 _Come by my apartment. No other officers to eavesdrop, and no one minds shouting._

Judy grimaced and was close to crumpling up the paper and throwing it on the floor, but she reined in her anger again and instead gave a quick 'good night' to the kindly zebra desk officer and ran to change into her spare civies. She came up to the atrium again and passed by Ben who was coming out from the gym.

"Hey Judy, how was patrol?"

"Hi Ben. It was fine, still a lot to do about those robberies. I have to get going, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh, before I forget," he stopped her. "I'm putting together a send-off for Nick on Friday and planning to invite everyone to Civet's Corner. Tuske is going to be back and it's tradition for him to lead the toasts for the next Liaison-Officer. I'll be seeing you there? I'm gonna try to get Gazelle to make an appearance."

Judy again held herself back from making a nasty remark and just gave Ben a quick smile and headed out the door. If the circumstances had been any other way than they were at that moment she would have thrilled at the possibility that Ben would get their favorite pop artist to make an appearance. As it was, Judy was only just keeping a lid on her seething emotions. As she left, however, she realized how close she had come to snapping at everyone today: Travis, Milia, Ben. Each had only been treating her kindly, and she had been terse and angry in nearly all of her exchanges. It made her mad to think that it was Nick and his selfishness that put her in this situation and made her so mad that things were hard on all fronts: just another thing for her to throw at him when she saw him again.

* * *

Judy hopped a subway to Nick's neighborhood and got to his apartment building even while the sun was still partially lighting the sky - though it was well buried behind the surrounding skyline in this neighborhood. Similar to her own apartment building, the downstairs lock - which was supposed to be accessible only to the tenants, and those whom the tenants buzzed in - was broken. Judy was able to walk right in and up the few stair flights between the ground floor and Nick's apartment level.

Standing in front of his door, Judy marshaled her thoughts, took a firm breath, and knocked on the door. Her knuckles stung slightly after her boxing fury from the previous night, and she felt her anger at Nick grow again.

Nick opened the door and inclined his head to invite her in, keeping his muzzle pointing down at the floor and without a word uttered. She stomped in, her large feet making a thudding sound with each step. The room was crowded with several boxes and a couple of suitcases and backpacks of Nick's few possessions. He was not wasting time. He had gotten right to packing up his things already. Once she was well inside the apartment, she whirled around and stared at Nick, who closed the door and then brought his full attention on her. For a few tense seconds the sound of Judy breathing was the loudest thing in the apartment, punctuated by the sharp intake and expulsion through her nose. Both of them knew she was on the verge of bursting and trying to hold it back, so Nick finally broke the stalemate.

"You wanna say it, so say it."

"You're a selfish _jerk_ , you know that?" she blurted. "You've said and done some hurtful things in the time I've known you, but you never actively disregarded me or my feelings. _This_ is a new low."

Nick sighed, and she continued to berate him.

"You should have told me about this plan to transfer when you first thought about it. We're supposed to be partners. We don't keep secrets from each other. We should be able to trust each other instinctively. Why couldn't you have brought this up with me when you first thought of it?"

Nick sighed again and answered. "Because it grew out of something very deep and personal. I was out there on the hike with you and Heather and I was thinking about my Dad: all the stories he told me about the Wild, and how it might have been where he disappeared to when I was younger. Then afterwards when I asked the rangers and officers there about the work... I was already liking the place and I liked what I heard. And they seemed to respond to me and my interests. And the more I asked, the more I wanted to know. It got serious, and by the time I knew I wanted to do something about it I didn't know how to tell you. It all came so fast."

"Why do you want to leave? This is your home, this where your friends and family are. You can really make a difference here..."

"My mom told me the exact same thing, so I'll tell you what I told her. I want to make a difference where I think it matters, and where I can grow into bigger and better things. And in a way that I'm not made to feel like a traitor to my kind or an interloper where I work."

"A traitor to your kind? Nick, what are you talking about?"

Nick looked away for a moment before he turned back to Judy and continued. "I'm talking about the fact that foxes see me in my uniform and hiss and jeer because I'm one of the oppressors now. Why do you think I was so rude to you when you came to me for help with Otterton when you started with the ZPD? It wasn't just because I saw the fox-repellent in your belt. If foxes have any natural enemies in Zootopia, it's the fuzz. When something bad goes down, we're the usual suspects. And now I'm one of the fuzz. Ask any fox in this city, they think I'm the one turning them in, blowing-the-whistle, and ratting them out. Every fox-catch, every bust, every call for questioning involving a fox... in their minds it can all be traced to me. And even some of the other cops wonder if I'm going to do something stupid in regards to those of my own species, like let a fox walk free after they've been taken into custody, or 'disappear' evidence and subvert a case because of it would help out one of my 'brothers' or 'sisters'."

Judy was unconvinced. "A few animals getting disgruntled that the law catches up to them, and a few cops showing poor judgment of character is no reason for you to keep secrets or make plans to leave. What about our partnership? What about all we've been through? How can you just walk away from this?"

"I didn't tell you because I knew this is how you would respond." He replied. "It becomes _your_ issue, even if it's _my_ decision. Even just a hint that I might look at a big change would have you going ballistic."

"I do NOT go ballistic." Judy snapped.

"Really?" Nick said with his eyebrow cocked in an expression of disbelief. "When I wanted to get a new apartment on the west side, you didn't want me moving because it would be a longer trip for me to the precinct, and for you to come visit. You spent the better part of a week talking up where I was living," he made a spiral with his foreclaw to indicate the apartment, "and putting down where I wanted to go so I wouldn't move. And when I go out alone, you interrogate me on my outings afterwards, and you question me for so long you might as well have come with me. Oh, and if my trip is to a bar with some friends who are actually still willing to associate with me after my new job, you check in with me every fifteen minutes to see if there's a fight, or if I see a shady deal, or I need backup... you're a steamroller, Judy. It's like you need to be in control of everything, and if something isn't just as you want it, you pounce on it and you press down on it until it fits just as you want it to and satisfies your expectations, or it gets crushed so it won't irk you any further."

Judy's mouth gaped at this lambaste. Her tone came with hurt and incredulity. "I ask about your life and try to keep you in mine because I care about you. That's what friends do."

Nick shot back an annoyed glance. "Friends also accept that their friends can make decisions for their own lives without needing to obtain your permission. And you shouldn't force your friends to meet your expectations if they aren't aligned."

"When did I force you to meet my expectations?"

"When you had me assigned as your partner."

Judy's eyes went wide again. Had Nick just said that he had not wanted to be her partner? After two years of knowing each other and over a year spent working together, this was coming out now? This was how he felt?

"Did you ever think to ask me what I wanted after I became an officer? Because I remember telling you on several occasions that I wanted to work on criminal investigations and some day take the test to become a detective. And whenever I told you about this you just seemed to get a glazed look in your eyes, and then you talked about the best part of this job would be the two of us doing work together; you just ignored the things I was saying and assumed that things would be peachy keen and perfect as your patrol partner, and you pushed for it with the Chief without asking me if it was okay. I didn't say anything when you did because I was only allowed into the academy on your recommendation. My status was entirely probationary until I finished my credits and I had no clout to refuse or voice my own desires after you had made up your mind, so what was I left with? I like being with you Judy, I do, but I would have preferred having the right to voice my own opinion."

Judy was reeling. Nick had not wanted to be her partner? After all they had been through?

Nick took a breath and explained further.

"I don't want to be the one out on the street looking to bust animals for infractions. To me it's a terrible approach to law enforcement and it's completely skewed by profiling. Remember our first case when we were looking through the 'jam-cams? You said you thought I'd make a good cop and I said 'how dare you'. That wasn't just me being snarky. I told you my kind are the usual suspects. We're not protected by the law, we're usually _oppressed_ by it. Law is what justifies some animals to treat us foxes like second-class citizens, and I didn't want to be a part of upholding something so unfair."

Nick looked down a moment before meeting Judy's eyes again; her initial horror at these statements was still plain on her face. Nick tried a different tact.

"Okay, remember the ice cream parlor where we first met? I was asked if there wasn't a place in town that would take my type... that was the tip of the iceberg for what I deal with, not dealt with, _deal_ with all the time. And it's what other foxes like me deal with _all... the... time_. The law doesn't help any of us. In that case it gave the proprietor the right to tell me to get lost."

Judy mustered her thoughts and defended what had come of it.

"We got him to serve you," she said. "The law didn't work for him in that way in the end."

"No, _you_ got him to serve me because you spoke on my behalf and gave a slight threat to cause trouble for his business by waiving your badge under his trunk. The letter of the law was against me from the get-go, and it usually is for foxes. I couldn't make an order for myself, I needed another animal to do it for me."

She was growing concerned at his vitriol.

"Nick, you're a cop. You're..."

"ALONE, OKAY!" He snapped and Judy drew back from him in shock at the outburst. Nick pressed the point.

"I'm alone! I'm a talking point for politicians, a novelty conversation piece for the brass, and an excuse for not needing to change unfair laws because 'obviously the law can't be biased against foxes, the city has a fox officer'." He delivered the last remark in a very sardonic tone. "What they never own up to is how many foxes are on the force or even tangentially related to it. You know how many, right? I'll remind you just in case: they're all named Wilde and they sum up to one: me. And how did I get here? _You_ , Judy. The only reason they even thought to consider me was because of you. Is it any different than when you had to speak for me in that ice cream shop? Do you know what that's like when the same words from another animal's mouth automatically hold more weight than yours ever can?"

Judy began to cow beneath his lambaste.

"Think back on our bust a little while back; the same day as our double-date. I was every bit involved in that incident as you, I gave you the boost you needed to tackle the perp and then I tripped him up. I even cuffed him and read him his rights. And how was credit for the arrest distributed? You got lauded, I got ignored, or got some backhanded comments on how I need to shape up even more because the perp could have been injured. And that was just one in many cases where my involvement was conveniently eschewed, or trampled on even when I gave it my best and got results that didn't violate police practice."

Judy had no response. Nick continued to press on.

"Put yourself in my place, okay? When you wanted to be a cop and went to the academy I'm sure you got picked on, you got told to go home, I bet you even suffered some bullying from the bigger guys, but you had a family cheering you on, and the bunnies from your community were proud of you when you graduated, right? And then in the precinct, you were marginalized and the Chief was against you, but you worked hard, got results, and earned respect, right? You know what I got for going to the academy and graduating top of my class? Hate mail. Threats by foxes I know in Zootopia who said I was dead to them. Why do you think there weren't any foxes at my graduation? A lot of them are ashamed of me. It kinda makes it difficult to feel like you're doing a good job when you're made to feel like a traitor. My mom's one of the only foxes that will be seen in broad daylight with me, and I barely get to speak to Finnick anymore because he's afraid I'm just another member of the fuzz that's looking to bust him for something. Which doesn't even compare to the kind of treatment I get in my own neighborhood for being an officer... FF is what they call me here: fuzzy fox. I may have some thick skin but hearing that everyday starts to wear on your nerves. And the department? The best treatment I get is from you, Ben, and to a lesser extent Bogo. The rest of them treat me with mild neglect and an unwelcoming air, if not outright prejudice about being a fox. I haven't become a cop in their eyes, I'm just pulling a con with a badge."

Judy was floored. She had struggled to overcome her own prejudices about foxes from her childhood and Gideon's bullying, but she never thought about how Gid' and other foxes were so systematically mistreated, or what it would be like being in Nick's position. She always knew Nick was stoic, but was it really so bad as he described? Animals like Jerry Jumbeaux Jr. seemed to be among the few openly narrow-minded animals in Zootopia from Judy's experience, but that was easy for her to say when she was an inoffensive little prey animal that suffered comparatively little prejudice. Nick no doubt was subject to consistent levels of scrutiny and mistreatment she could scarcely imagine. Now other members of his species denigrated him for his accomplishments while his fellow cops made him feel like a pariah.  
She had come here ready to give Nick an earful, and instead he had one ready to give to her - and for the size of her ears, that was saying something.

Nick interrupted her thoughts again. This time his voice was calm and lacking in any anger or vitriol. He sounded almost apologetic.

"I got on the force because of you, and the only reason I have any value or respect here is as an extension of yours. You know something what that feeling is like. You didn't want to be the token bunny, you wanted to be respected for who you are and what you bring to the department... that's exactly what I want too. But I can tell I won't get it here. There are too many preconceptions about me; from the populace and the rest of the department. They laugh at my jokes, but I can feel them bristle whenever I'm near. And I don't think there's going to be another case like Bellweather any time soon where I can prove myself. The Liaison job... doing the right thing and protecting others is a big part of that. And becoming a detective, that would be great. If this job could help that then of course I want to give it a go. But it's also about earning my place too. I just want a chance to be recognized for the work I do and duly appreciated for it, and I don't see it ever happening here. Far-End, the Wild... who knows? Maybe yes and maybe no. But I want to go, and I won't be satisfied with myself if I don't try. I'm not asking you to forgive me for this decision, or for not telling you about it sooner, and I don't expect you to say 'congratulations'. But can you at least understand why I would do this and why it matters so much to me?"

Judy opened her mouth. A part of her wanted to say she understood, because she had felt some of the same need to earn respect when she started as a cop. She could even understand him wanting to go someplace where no one knew him so he could start with a clean slate. If things were as bad as he described, she could scarcely convince him otherwise with words. The matter of him wanting to be a detective she could also understand. Nick had a very keen intellect for the workings of criminals, and she absolutely agreed that he would do great in that position. If this job could help him achieve his goals and make him happier, then she had no reason to stop him, she should encourage him to be his best.  
In the end, however, she could not shake her anger and sense of betrayal that had come from him keeping all of this a secret. That much in his actions she could not understand.

"You should have told me." She said.

Then, when she remembered his statements about not wanting to be her partner, giving her the sense that her friendship with him didn't matter, it became too much to bear... she had to leave. She walked passed him and when she got to the door she turned the knob slowly in case he was about to say something.

He never made a sound.

She opened the door, closed it after passing through, and took off running down the hallway, down the stairwell, out the doors and down the sidewalk. She could feel tears brimming in her eyes as she ran down the sidewalk. She wasn't even sure she was going in the right direction, she just kept running.

Some time later she stopped as she approached a bench in a park and sat down to cry.

She felt as though she had been working with a liar for her entire career as a cop. He had won her trust, he had proven himself a great and loyal friend to her, and now she learned that he had never wanted to be with her. It hurt her worse than when he first abandoned her after her statements to the press following their first case. Back then at least she could turn the blame on herself for what she had said. In this case, he had been leading her on for over a year, and when this opportunity to do something else presented itself he had gone for it, had not shared his ideas with her, and now that everything was in place he was just going to leave.

Judy put her head in her paws, and sobbed.

* * *

Wednesday came and if anything the air between Judy and Nick was even colder and tenser than the day before. Each gave the other a wide berth, focusing instead on their new respective partners and doing their best to just carry on normally.

To nearly all outward appearances they seemed fine.

Nick spent his time listening to Ben's many stories about his days on the beat before his injury and how even such a short time the city seemed almost entirely changed. It made Nick wonder what it would be like to look at Zootopia again after two years in Far-End. Ben also had to spare a few sound waves to mention that he was still keeping in contact with 'Gazelle', who seemed genuinely pleased to hear that Ben was now a full-time beat cop again. Nick had to give Ben credit for having such a strong friendship with an animal who lived in such a different world than his, but who still managed to find time to be supportive of him and wanted to include him in her own world as much as she could.

Judy spent her time going over the robberies with Travis. She had thought of bringing Nick into the issues they were investigating since he usually brought such keen insight into such problems. However, since he was leaving - and she was still mad at him - she figured it best to take their findings to one of the members of the Detective Bureau instead. She spent her time working with Travis to craft reports for the detectives to go over, and made sure that one of her regular contacts in the Bureau - Leslie Baird - was keeping them updated on the progress of the investigation and letting them know what they could do to help secure more evidence and testimonies.

Both Nick and Judy forgot to study their ZU coursework, and did not bother with their regular competitions anymore. Judy still ran and did her exercises that afternoon and evening, and Nick did his with Ben in the ZPD gym like they had promised each other they would, but without having the other one at hand to push them, their distances, number of reps and sets, even the pleasure in the post-exercise burn was greatly diminished.

Judy did her best to keep on top of training Travis properly, but she found it difficult knowing what she knew now with regard to Nick and what was coming in only a matter of days; it left her little bandwidth to deal with her rookie. Mercifully he did not seem to notice just how much this affected Judy since he had not seen how close she and Nick were as partners and friends. Travis asked about Nick now and then, but for the most part he seemed more eager to hear about police procedure and how to be a good officer. Any reminders about Nick seemed to come chiefly from Judy herself.

Nick, however, had to endure the exuberant and unintentional discomfort that Ben caused by reminding him about Judy and how his job change was going to affect her. If it was not about how Judy would fair with Travis as a new partner, and how it would never be the same as when Nick was there, it was about how much she would miss him and probably start calling him like she did her family - or maybe she would find a way to transfer to Far-End to work with him again. Ben effectively opened Nick's wounds on the matter again and again and again without knowing it, and without Nick ever telling him so.

Still, through it all both Judy and Nick carried on as professionals and did their work without complaint.

* * *

By Thursday, both Judy and Nick were sick with their thoughts and feelings on the matter and with their efforts to keep it all under wraps at work. Each decided independently that they needed to go and find others to at least share in their misery outside of work.

For Nick, that was a trip down to his neighborhood 'watering hole' where he would likely find Finnick.

For her part, Judy called up Geraldine and agreed to meet her at a special eye-to-eye café downtown after work. The place was a large indoor café where giraffes or elephants could dine with average-sized animals by reclining on long couches, or in some cases eat with their necks fully erect, while smaller animals sat in elevated booths at the eye-level of the taller customer. Judy was just small enough that she could seat herself in the small elevated alcoves and look Geraldine in the eye. Geraldine was thrilled to be at such a place with Judy, where she could look her diminutive friend in the face without straining her neck. The two of them met after hours as planned and were fortunate that the college-kit stampede was directed towards the bars and more rowdy drinking holes and away from the café. The two off-duty officers ordered some vegetarian smoothies and took some long draws of their drinks before they broached any conversation. Judy drank hers at the cup rim, while Geraldine made do with a straw. Judy was grateful Geraldine had not asked for a salad, since she would eat it by scooping up leaves with her long tongue. Judy accepted that it was Geraldine's way, and with hooves so far away Geraldine could not use regular cutlery, but it was still unsettling to see that long tongue scoop up food while Judy herself was trying to consume something.

After a long drink and contented sigh, Geraldine spoke.

"So Judy. What's on your mind? You said you were feeling down about something and needed a friend to talk with."

"Geraldine, did my partnership with Nick ever seem _off_ to you?"

Geraldine looked askance. "'Off' in what way?"

"I mean... did you ever get the sense that Nick kept things from me, or that there was tension between us?"

Geraldine's eyebrow went up. "Like, romantic tension?" she offered with a bit of a salacious edge to her voice.

Judy's eyes snapped wide open and she immediately recoiled from the accusation.

"What? No, no, no that's not what I mean, no. I meant... did you think that maybe... maybe he was upset with us working together, or that we didn't listen to one another?"

"Doesn't this seem like something to bring to H.R.? Partner's counselling?" Geraldine teased.

"Geraldine I'm serious. Nick's leaving."

"He quit?"

"No, he's getting transferred to Far-End. He applied for the Liaison-Officer job and got it. The precinct is supposed to have some get-together on Friday as a send-off."

Now Geraldine's eyes were wide. "No kidding! Wow, I never pictured Nick in the Wild - no pun intended."

"He said he never wanted to be partners in the first place."

"Woah! That sound pretty harsh. Why would he say that?"

"He says I never listen to what he wants and I just hear what I want to hear."

"I think maybe you should start at the beginning. How did all of this happen?"

"Well..."

It took several minutes for Judy to share everything with Geraldine, and when she was done, Geraldine had taken so many nervous sips of her drink that she had to order another.

"Wow... sounds like a bad scene." Was Geraldine's first comment.

"It was terrible. And the worse part is I don't know what to think of it. I mean I want to feel righteous indignation at Nick for what he did, but... but he's Nick. He's my best friend and I trust him implicitly. And I can at least empathize with some of what he's feeling. I mean I went through some of the same things when I started, and I didn't have to keep dealing with the same prejudice after a year in uniform. By then I was at least in good enough standing with everyone that I could do my work without these kinds of problems. And the bunny community got on board with what I was doing in my life and praised me - Nick apparently doesn't have that."

"Well how about the things Nick complains about that you were a part of? You were complaining at lunch last Friday about how you thought he was being snappy at work and how you thought he wasn't taking initiative or something along those lines. Were you maybe not giving him the instruction he needed?"

"I don't know. Maybe. It's just such a mess."

"Well when you went to his apartment, did he say he never wanted to be partners in the first place? Did he open his maw, move his jaw, and say those exact words: 'I never asked to be your partner'?"

"He said that I 'assumed he would just be my partner'."

"Well, to play devil's advocate: did you ever ask him?"

"I asked him to join. I gave him the application, I wrote recommendation letters and got the Chief to vouch for him too."

"Yeah, but did you ever _ask_ _Nick_ if that was what he wanted? I don't mean did you ask him to join, did you ask him if he _wanted_ to join and work with you?"

"My emphasis might not have been entirely on _his_ wants when I said I could use a partner."

"Well, did he ever tell you about what his goals were?"

"We mostly cracked jokes and kept our eyes on our work whenever we were hanging out. Or we talked about our shared ZU assignments."

"Sounds like maybe you didn't really try to see his side of things."

Judy exhaled and took a long pull of her drink.

"What about Nick then?" Geraldine asked. "What does he want?"

"He wants to be a detective. After this he'll come back and take the test to get his shield and be in the Detective Bureau."

"And he said he always wanted to do that?"

"Be in the Bureau? Yeah. He thinks being out at Far-End will give him a chance to improve his skills and be ready to do that job when his term ends."

"And the job at Far-End - did he say how he fell into it?"

"He must have been working to get it for weeks or even months."

"Did you ever ask about it?"

"No, but consider: he had to get approval from Bogo, and an offer from the Chief at Far-End. Plus recommendations, interviews... _and_ he had to do all of this without having a recommendation from his own partner," Judy aimed an opposable digit at herself. "It must have taken a while to arrange."

"Okay, but you said he talked to some of the officers out at Far-End a couple of weeks ago when you guys went out there for a hike, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well I've been there a couple of times - boyfriend who liked hiking, didn't end well between us, but not the point - anyway those guys run pretty fast with the rules. Maybe not loose, but they're strapped for bodies, so they take whoever is interested and they work with what they have. Sometimes they don't have much choice, so the turnaround between meeting a potential candidate and getting a hire is pretty short. I actually talked with one of the officers there, and he told me that he effectively got conscripted to work the desk one odd day that he stopped by, and then went through the training to become an officer afterwards. That group seems to value necessity more than procedure. Maybe Nick got fast-tracked. He certainly wouldn't have had competition to get that job. Hardly any officers in Zootopia actually want it."

"Then why the secrecy? We're partners, shouldn't we be open and honest with each other? Shouldn't he have let me know about his plan?"

"That I won't try to challenge, he should have said something a long time ago. Still, I can see why he'd want to leave and work somewhere else."

"Why? What's wrong with the Precinct. It's in the center of the city. We get dispatched all over, and we help in all kinds of things: political rallies, shop break-ins, visiting dignitaries - what could be better?"

"A chance to develop in a place that can accommodate you."

"Geraldine, what are you talking about?"

"Why do you think I raced off to my job in Sahara the moment it was offered me?"

"I assumed you wanted to get out on the beat again and wanted to first availability. Wasn't that why you were petitioning Bogo?"

"Yeah, but not here. It's crowded, it's uncomfortable and I don't want to be doing patrol work here. Not to mention animals make fun of me when they see how awkward I am when I try to move around town. Heck, Francine is even petitioning for a transfer to Sahara so she can have the wide-open space too."

Judy was stunned. She had always felt so proud of the diversity of animals in the ZPD, and the central precinct in particular. Francine and Geraldine were certainly on the extreme end of animals that could live and work in the tight spaces of the city proper, but there were so many citizens their size that seemed to handle it well enough she always assumed it was not a problem. When she stopped to remember, she did on occasion have to tell some rude passerby to lay off of harassing either Geraldine or Francine if they made fun of their sizes. It did not happen often from Judy's perspective, but then from Francine and Geraldine it must have seemed rather frequent.

"I guess there are disadvantages for all of us in this line of work," Judy admitted. "But isn't that why we work to get around them? I mean heck, I'm a rabbit and Nick is a fox. No one in this city or anywhere I've been thought animals like us could be police officers, much less partners. And look, we became officers and we've been partners for so long. I thought we put those preconceptions to bed."

"Some of us aren't looking to smash down everyone else's preconceptions Judy. Some of us just want to find a way to do what we love, and sometimes it means altering the arrangement. I made a big stink about Bogo not letting me be a patrol officer because that's what I wanted to be, but ultimately I couldn't do the job downtown and be happy with it. A big open place like the Sahara - that's where I can do this job, feel better about it, and not run into so many obstacles - quite _literally_. And maybe someday I'll move up the ranks and be a supervisor - _Sergeant_ Maddox has a ring to it wouldn't you say?"

"So you're saying that Nick is the same way? A giraffe in Downtown looking for his own Sahara?"

Geraldine grinned at the idea of a long-necked Nick. "I'm saying that his priorities are different from yours, and the obstacles in his way may not be the ones you have to deal with; just like mine, just like Francine, and everyone else that doesn't want the same thing as you. And you had it in you to accept my decision to transfer because it was the right thing for me. Maybe you can find it in you to adopt that same decision for Nick - Far-End, and maybe someday Detective Bureau."

"But you didn't lie to me about it."

"No I didn't, and Nick has to own that, but is it worth staying mad at him over?"

Judy exhaled heavily. "I just don't know how to move forward from this. If I can't trust him to be honest with me, how am I supposed to trust him with anything?"

"Well, I think that's something that your friendship is going to have to work out." Geraldine said. "But I'm sure a friendship like yours is something you would work to keep. And I'm sure so would Nick if you could both only talk it over and try to see a way forward."

Judy and Geraldine spent the rest of their time together talking about other matters, trying to get their thoughts away from the heavy, and rather depressing issues that Judy had broached. It worked better for Geraldine than it did for Judy.

Later that night, Judy came into her apartment so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not even register the noisy arguments next door. She decided to devote some time to write up a pro-con list about what it meant for Nick to take the job at Far-End so she could really spell it all out for herself. With a pad and a piece of paper she set to work.

 _Pros: Nick will get to work in a different environment where he might get on better with the staff, he could then become a better officer, he'll get to take on responsibility as an independent_ _officer_.

 _Cons: I don't see him for two full years and neither do his other friends and family, he'll be out of touch with the changes to the city that take place, he'll come back used to working in a looser work environment, he won't be learning how to work with the officers here if he just leaves them, he may have a hard time getting a promotion if he wants one, and there's no guarantee that this kind of work he's doing will be useful for becoming a detective - plus he won't be in the Zootopia working on cases for the ZPD which would get noticed._

She counted roughly three pros and approximately seven cons; to her it seemed at first glance an open-and-shut case about what Nick's course of action should be - stay, work hard, talk with the Detective Bureau, take the test and transfer... or maybe decide to stay with her...

In mid-thought Judy suddenly realized something striking about how she had laid out the cons. Many of them were based on what she hoped were true because they fortified her position on why Nick should remain as her partner. Judy mentally chastised herself for this. She had to stop herself and really try to work away from that mentality - Geraldine had spent a while making it clear to her just how important it was to see the matter from Nick's point of view rather than her own.

Reassessing the pro-con table, Judy found there was a slight redistribution after the first pass.

 _New Pros: Nick would not be marginalized by the animals around him at Far-End. He would approach the work with a better outlook so he would learn even more than being here in Zootopia and being miserable._

 _Changed Cons: Being away does not mean he loses all contact, he can still keep involved - he and I could still do our classes and remain friends. A looser working environment may actually work better for Nick - that's what he works best with. Working with the other officers here may end up being better after this if he comes in with some more skills. If he wants to be a detective, and they can give him case work there, then maybe that could still be used to his benefit, even if it isn't in Zootopia..._

The more Judy had thought on it, the more she began to see how this would benefit Nick. Still it displeased her when she recalled his decision not to tell her about his application, about his problems, about all of it. Intellectually she could see all of the reasons for him to go and all of the reasons to be happy for him - but when it came to her personal feelings on the matter and her sense of betrayal and hurt, she could not bring herself to let the issue go.

She went to bed, intellectually in better shape than before, but still upset.

* * *

While Judy had her quiet drink with Geraldine, Nick's destination was a little rowdier: a dive-bar called the 'watering hole' for no other reason than because no one cared to give the place a name other than its specific purpose. Nick came in wearing his typical off-duty green shirt and khaki slacks, and though he was met with some mocking derision by those who had seen him on the beat in his uniform, enough of the clientele in the watering hole just called him 'Nicky'.

Nick made his way to the bar, where a short fennec fox was drinking a beer from a mug almost as large as he was. Nick often wondered if Finn had a secret hole in the barstool through which he could just evacuate all the liquid he must have built up in himself when he drank here. He took the seat next to Finn and was greeted the moment his diminutive friend slammed his mug on the counter.

"Well, well, well… Wilde, and not in those nice digs we good taxpayers pay you to wear."

"Good to see you too Finn… and what's this 'we'? Since when do you pay taxes?"

"Since I got a job as a respected car mechanic, thank you very much."

"Finn, I really don't want to hear about the chop-shop. I may be off-duty, but if things get said, sooner or later cops show up and I don't want to be caught having kept secrets."

"Hey fuzz, what do you take me for? It's legit. Got a uniform, paper-trail and everything."

Nick snickered a little to think that the deep-voiced partner-in-crime of his youth was going to work in a proper establishment that gave him a uniform.

"My big guy in a uniform, when do I get to see you in it?"

"Gonna have to buy me a drink first. And for your ugly mug... gonna take me a few." Finnick spat. Under the bitter grimace, Finnick spared a good-natured smile. Nick called the barkeep to get a beer him and another for Finn.

"So what brings you to the watering hole on my off-hours? More soul-searching and finding your place?" Finn asked as the two drinks were poured and served.

"I think I might be taking the steps to get there." Nick replied. "I'm leaving Zootopia for a while."

The smirk actually faded from Finn's face.

"For real? You in some kind a' trouble?"

Nick shook his head. "No I got the job. I'm the go-between officer for the ZPD here in Zootopia and the station out at Far-End."

Finn's eyes went wide just for a moment, and then he erupted in his characteristic chuckle.

"You... _chuckle_... the Wilde fox... _chuckle_... going to _The Wild_? Oh, it never gets old... _chuckle_."

Nick grimaced, shook his head again and took a pull of his drink. "Glad to know I can still brighten your day with something for you to laugh at. They asked me to go up this Saturday to survey the general domain and get a feel for it all, then start my job officially on Monday morning. I think they want to snag me before I change my mind."

"Wow, so it's really happening for you, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm planning to come back Saturday night, grab some more of my things, then spend my first few days in one of the bunk houses while I look for a place to live. At some point I guess I need to bring all of my stuff with me. Probably gonna be a while before it feels like home."

"Home?" Finn snickered. "I don't think you'll feel at home anywhere outside the city Nicky, and I'm pretty sure the train ain't gonna haul the whole block up there to make you feel more at home _._ "

Nick grimaced again and took a long pull of his drink while Finn laughed. When Finn stopped, and after he had finished a long pull of his beer, he put his drink down and held up his paw in Nick's directions. "Hey, in all seriousness... all seriousness...," Finn hopped up on the counter and turned around to face the bar. Foxes and badgers were shooting pool loudly on one end of the bar, while a few younger weasels were playing pinball noisily in the corner, and a few grizzled dingos were shooting darts. Finn lifted his drink and called them all to attention: "HEY LISTEN UP."

The noise in the bar suddenly dropped and a few dozen animals turned their heads to the small fennec fox with the deep, booming voice.

"I got an announcement for everybody. Nicky, stand up."

Nick took a breath and got on top of his bar stool with his beer in his hand. A few of the others in the bar, notably those who had had run-ins with the law, gave him the stink-eye. Finn continued, unperturbed.

"A lot a' you know Nicky here from the hood. And a lot a' you know he left his normal job among us to become one of the fuzz. Well I got something to say about that that I've been meaning to say for a while: I'm really proud of him for doing it. We all should be."

That caught everyone off guard; especially Nick. Finn responded to their stunned and quizzical expressions before they had time to turn to one another and start voicing thoughts.

"Nicky's one of the smartest fellows I've ever met, and I've run with some of the sharpest. This fox is doing something none of us have ever done and you know what: I think it's good that he is. Let's the rest of Zootopia know that we got as much right to be here and be a part of everything as any hippo executive, any elephant snob, and any lion politician."

A brief round of table thumping followed this statement, Finn continued.

"Well our little kit Nicky is now on his way to a new job to work as a cop in the Wild - to help out all of the brothers and sisters that go back to the old ways, and all of those that want to leave the old ways and come to the new."

Several animals turned to one another in surprise. The Wild was something they had all talked about at one time or another, but few really took the time to consider what it would mean to actually go there. Now Nick was going, not just _to_ the Wild, but to somehow try to _manage_ it. That was a whole different game.

"So here's to our brothers and sisters in the Wild. They got a new keeper to watch over 'em. Wish him well."

Dozens of glasses, bottles and even a few pool cues went in the air, and many animals gave sounds of approval. Nick was stunned at the positive reinforcement, but he also had to remind himself that the majority of these animals had spurned interaction with him since he received his badge. Going to the Wild may have been something they could respect, but it was a far cry from respecting _him_. They were probably just as pleased to be rid of him. Still, he accepted their well wishes, and to show his own appreciation he downed the rest of his beer from his perch on the stool. That got him a few cheers - you could take the fox out of the hood, but there was no taking the hood out of the fox.

Nick walked home a few hours later with a buzz that he knew did not come from the two beers he had had that evening. He had been pleasantly surprised by the send-off he received from so many of the animals he had known for much of his life. After getting into his apartment, he signed the last of his contracts and other documents with a sense of contentment on the matter of his old acquaintances and put the documents in his portable scanner. Once they were attached to an email and sent to the address at Far-End however, he remembered his closest acquaintance of all, and he grew sad.

 _Of all the animals in all of Zootopia that could be happy for me right now... why couldn't it be her?_

* * *

Friday came at last, and both Judy and Nick came into work after having spent the previous evening on some heavy thoughts.

Judy was still feeling emotionally raw and sore and was unwilling to speak to Nick so soon after the affair had transpired. Nick, by contrast felt sad that Judy could not feel happy for him and was unwilling to go speak to her.

The morning meeting passed by without registering for them. As Chief Bogo reached the end of his talk, however, he called for all officers to pay close attention as Officer Clawhauser made an announcement. The cheetah officer came up front, taking deliberate steps now in his fitter form rather than waddling, and turned to face the contingent.

"Hey everyone, I just wanted to say that I think we owe Officer Nick Wilde a send-off before he goes to work as the new Liaison-Officer at Far-End next week. So tonight I have a party set up over at Civet's Corner. Officer Tuske is back this evening as well, so we'll be welcoming him back. I'm hoping you can all make it. Nick has been a real powerhouse in this department since he started last year and we're going to feel his absence in the coming years while he's gone. So let's all get together and leave with some fond memories until we see him again."

A mild chant of approval started from some of the canine officers: Sharp and Wolford, and gradually spread to some of the others until everyone in the room had rattled their table with their clenched fore-limbs. One notable exception was to be found in the front, but the lack of enthusiasm in one small mammal was more than compensated for by another mammal of near-equal size at her side. Nick noticed that Judy remained slumped in her chair and felt distraught to see her so down. He nevertheless nodded to the rest of the contingent for their support as Bogo settled them down again.

The rest of the day passed in a blur for both Judy and Nick. Each of them had reached almost obsessive levels of thought with regard to one another and what the actions of that last few days told them about the future of their friendship, and about one another. Judy pondered about how she would move forward, thinking of situations that included Nick and those that did not. She found the latter more depressing, but the former she could not see how to work it out. For Nick, the focus was on how to repair the damage done and if he could do anything to make things right.

Both had failed to come up with workable ideas by the end of the shift.

Nick got into the precinct and went straight to his locker in the Male's room. As he opened the locker he kept his head down so he could not see the hate-speech scrawled on the inside. He collected the last of his things - it was not much - and then closed it for the last time... for a while at least. His temporary partner manifested behind him and took the box of materiel and escorted Nick to the front desk where they left the box with the desk officer and headed for Civet's Corner. Ben talked about how much fun it was going to be and how many were coming. Nick nodded with a fixed grin, but his eyebrows sloped and he felt the worse knowing that his first partner would not be there.

All the support of the ZPD, and not having her made it seem so small.

* * *

"Here's the fox of the hour. Everyone, here he is." Ben announced as Nick came through the door to Civet's. A cheer of other officers echoed around the hall. The turnout was actually pretty good, Nick recognized at least half of his day-shift contingent, and a few other officers that he had seen around the precinct at one time or another.

Taking the lead as the host of the evening, Ben escorted Nick through the gauntlet of officers offering Nick a hearty paw or hoof to shake. One officer from the Nocturnal district even offered a wing, and another from the Marina offered a flipper. Nick learned from Ben that these last two had been Liaisons years past. Nick found it surprising that two animals of such particular environments could serve at the Glade-Station at Far-End, but apparently they each made modifications to their work spaces that made it possible. Nick could also understand why Chief Boggs might have been interested in getting an officer that could go out on patrol as easily as Nick could - these other animals probably could not be relied upon to work in the forest terrain during regular working hours.

Then again, if these were the kinds of animals that had preceded him, it suggested that the job really was something that the ZPD was not particular about filling with environmentally-suited candidates.

Nick pushed these thoughts aside and went with Ben to one of the sitting areas where who should have attended but Gazelle herself!

"Gazelle, so glad you made it," Ben said so casually as Gazelle got to her hind hooves and gave her friend an embrace.

"I was glad to get your call. We've been so busy these last few months I have scarcely heard from you."

"I know I'm sorry," Ben replied in an admonished town. "I was really focused on my training so I could get back to my job. And this week they finally gave me my position back full-time... oh, and _this_ guy here is the one who helped me do it. You remember Nick."

Gazelle at last looked away from Ben and took notice of Nick.

"But of course, Nick Wilde. So good to see you." She leaned down and gave him a hug and a kiss on each cheek. Nick was not so given over to being star-struck, but he was surprised at such familiarity in the exchange.

"Uh, thank you Gazelle."

"We should be thanking _you_ ," she insisted. "Going to Far-End to serve the community. It is very noble of you."

This was a surprising sentiment for Nick.

"Oh, where is Judy?"

"She couldn't make it," Ben replied as Nick himself took another sweep of the room. "Said she was planning to go up to see her family early tomorrow morning. Kind of surprising she needs to go so soon. She and I both have Sunday patrol duty."

Nick was thinking of going straight to Judy's apartment to make amends after Ben told him this bit of news, but then he spotted a boar at around the middle of the bar.

"Hey Ben, is that Officer Tuske?" he asked.

Ben craned his eyes towards the bar and nodded. "Yep, that's him. Come on, I'll introduce you."

Nick followed Ben over to the bar and on the way he stopped to shake paws with Sharp, the wolf officer who had started the psyche-up about Nick in the bullpen. The wolf officer had always been very sparse in speech, but he seemed to display a certain warmth to Nick since he had been in the ZPD, and Nick thanked him for as much. Nick then excused himself as he had to go and meet his predecessor. Sharp nodded and wished him well.

"Excuse me, Jay?", Ben began once Nick had caught up. The boar looked over his shoulder. "Hey, it's Ben Clawhauser. I was your dispatcher at Precinct One. Anyway I wanted to introduce you to the officer who is taking the reins at Far-End. This is Nick Wilde."

The boar had up-ended his mug and begun guzzling the amber liquid inside as Ben gave this explanation. When Ben was finished speaking, he held up a hoof asking for a moment while he finished. Nick and Ben both waited for Jay to finish his drink. Once he had, the emptied mug was slammed on the counter and the boar officer wiped his long snout before swiveling on his stool to look at Nick.

"Hey Wilde. Don't mind me taking a long sip, the last week there felt longer than the previous two years."

"Tough going, huh?"

"You wouldn't believe. The Liaison has to be on call pretty much all hours of the day. I got a chance to take leave now and then to come to the city, but I was always hoping and praying no emergencies happened. Had to have a satellite phone on me at all times of the day and night."

Nick's eyebrows went up. "I... recall reading something like that in the contract, but _wow: all hours?_ "

"Oh-hoh-hoh," Tuske chuckled in a knowing way. "That was the tip of the iceberg." He patted the bar stool and Nick climbed up to sit next to him. "I had to be the first to clock in and the last to clock out: something about having to keep the hours of Zootopia, and since according to them this place doesn't sleep..."

"Wow, tough going indeed." Nick whistled as he ordered something to drink. He opted not to have any alcohol since he had to be up early the next day to get one of the early trains to Far-End. If what Tuske had said was accurate, then he would probably not be able to get a train out of Zootopia early enough to be there on time once this more regimented schedule set in, so trips back here would indeed be infrequent.

"So did you get to do any of the kinds of work you wanted to do?" Nick asked.

"The work I wanted to do was here in Zootopia - putting tickets on cars at expired meters, and giving lessons to young kits who were going down the wrong path."

"Yeah, I guess that would be harder to come by at Far-End," Nick conceded. Ben by this time had excused himself to go back to Gazelle and some of the other officers. "But, what about case-work? Were there many issues with murders or kit-nappings? Things that the department needed to solve?"

"Quite a few still unsolved even when when I left earlier today. Not really anyone's wheel-house there, everyone has to be trained to handle everything, none of those guys really gets specialized training for investigative work. Someone just takes on a case, asks questions, they do the basics well-enough I suppose, but I don't think there's ever been a full-time detective there. Poor saps could really use one." Jay chuckled a bit at that last statement and took a sip of another drink he had just gotten.

Nick nodded and sensed that he had probably exhausted the stories about Far-End from Jay. The boar seemed so eminently pleased to be in Zootopia again he scarcely wanted to mention the ordeals he had just been through. Nick asked him about what he should take advantage of, what to avoid, and what Jay would have done differently. After several more stories, Nick gave Jay thanks and went around the room again. He kept his eyes low, and often at the door to see if Judy would manifest, but she never did.

"Hey Nick." Came a small voice from beside him. Nick turned but found that the speaker was below his eye-line.

"Hey Travis, good to see you."

"I never got to give my congratulations. It feels like I only just met you and already you're taking off. I wish I could have spent some more time getting to know you."

"Well I'm only gone for two years kit. You'll see me again before long. And by then I imagine I'll look like the rookie who needs guidance."

"Are you kidding? Officer Hopps keeps going on about how you're the one who always has things to teach her about this job and this city. I bet you come back and whoever you work with is going to be taking notes from you still. Rookie or veteran I bet you'll have insight for anyone."

"Well I appreciate the vote-of-confidence Travis, but give it two years and see what your thoughts are then."

"Oh, by the way... I didn't know that Ben knew 'Gazelle'. When did that happen?"

Nick chuckled. "Oh, yeah that happened at an after-party we all went to a little while after I became an officer. Judy and I pushed Ben to talk to her and talked up his love of older songs. The two of them ended up singing together."

"No way!"

"Way. After that they just kept in contact. I think she's the main reason he decided to get out on the beat again."

After sharing a few more stories from before Travis's time, and thinking about how much he missed the one animal his thoughts kept turning to, Nick had decided that it was enough for him and he went around to pay his respects to Ben and the other officers he felt inclined to speak to. Ben tried to get him to stay around another few minutes, but Nick let him know that there was somewhere important for him to be.

* * *

Having decided not to go to the send-off, Judy had attempted to enlist Francine and Jayashri in a little ladies-night-out. Both of them had already promised to go to the party and were surprised that Judy herself was not going to attend. Judy tried her best to be delicate in dissembling and said that she felt like a more relaxed and intimate evening was what she needed and that she would see more of Nick at some point. Still, she had not convinced them to go out or stay in with her - just as they were unable to convince her to come to the party.

Now Judy sat in her home, trying to motivate herself to do her exercises, read her assignments, and do all of the things she was so used to doing with Nick. Without him as a motivator it was proving very difficult. Eventually she decided to try to give her family a call - if only to break up the monotony and the feeling of impotence she had.

The phone only rang a couple of times before it was answered by her mom.

"Judy, hi good to see you. Surprised you called on a Friday night, I thought you'd be out somewhere."

"Is that Judy?" Her dad asked from just off-screen. "Hi Judy. Good to see you."

"Hi you guys. Um, actually I was wondering, and I know it's short notice but, do you think I could swing by for a night and a bit of tomorrow? I feel like I need to get out the city for just a short spell."

"Oh of course Jude-bug. As long as you need. Why not a few days?"

Judy grinned. "Thanks for the offer Dad, but I have a morning shift starting on Sunday, and I have a rookie that I'm in charge of, so I need to be here."

"Anything the matter, dear?"

Judy knew better than to include her parents in her personal problems, and since they could do little to help she decided not to mention anything. "Nothing really worth mentioning, I just need a day away."

"Well of course. I think the next train leaves in about an hour, you could be here for the late-night leftover meal."

"Ah the late-night meals. Only for the grown-ups, and it looks so mystical in the eyes of the young." Judy reminisced.

"Come on down Jude-bug. It'll be good to see you."

"Okay, let me pack my things. I'll see you all in a few hours."

"We love you Judy."

"See you soon sweetheart."

"Bye."

Judy closed the connection and went to collect her overnight bag.

* * *

The old Pangolin Arms Luxury Apartments building was sparsely lit; many of the exterior lights had been broken at one point or another and only the faintest flicker now gave Nick a view of the facade at this late hour. Given the shape the building was in, the less seen, the better.

Nick got in through the door that was supposed to be locked and made his way up the stairwell to Judy's floor. He came through the hallway, which despite its grungy and greasy look at least had no trash anywhere, and no junkies, drunks or other lay-about animals in the hallway. Judy hardly lived in a picturesque neighborhood, but at least her building did not have all of the same problems that Nick had around his own place.

He made his way to the door abutting the one where two individuals were noisily yelling, and knocked twice. He heard the hollow echo in Judy's room, the symptom of her not having purchased any additional furnishings since she had first gotten her place.

From the edge of her bed, Judy plainly heard the rapping at her door, but she knew in an instant who it had to be. She was still feeling ashamed, embarrassed and angry - too many things for her to open the door and greet her guest with appropriate hospitality. Not to mention she was in the process of trying to leave for the short weekend. Added to that fact, the last time that she had met with this animal, in his apartment no less, she had left in tears. So she resolved to not confront, though she knew she wanted to.

"Judy," came his voice. "I'm sorry."

That caused her to look in the direction of the door and direct both ears to their maximum height and receptivity. She waited still.

Nick sighed and then decided to just say to the door what he wanted to say to her. Maybe she was listening, maybe she had her headphones on, and maybe she was asleep - she might even be out - but he felt compelled to speak, even to the door.

"You're right. I should have told you. Not just about the job, but about all of it: the harassment, the name calling, the isolation... I should have let you know what was going on and how badly I was feeling. I kept to my rule about 'never let them see', and I should have made an exception for you. You should _always_ be the exception to that rule... you're my partner, and... and you're my friend."

She stood up from her bed and walked on the tips of her toes towards the door where she could hear him more clearly. She placed her ear against the door and waited for him to continue.

"You're my friend... and I'm supposed to trust you implicitly and... and I'm sorry... I'm sorry I didn't."

He stopped for a moment and she thought he might have finished or left. Then suddenly she heard his fur rustle: the sound of him scratching his claws against the back of his neck.

"I'm going to miss you. More than anything else in this whole city I'm going to miss you."

Right when Judy felt like opening the door, who should choose to break the silence, but the two animals in all of Zootopia who she thought must have had allergies to the concept of silence.

"Hey out there, keep it down, some of us are trying to get an early night." One of them bellowed.

"Leave that guy alone," the other said in retort. "He's trying to make an apology to Judy and your ruining the mood."

"Why did you say her name so loudly? At least he was using the name quietly enough, now the whole neighborhood probably heard what you said."

"Don't turn this around on me..."

While this exchange proceeded, Nick took out a small scrap of paper and scribbled something on it using Judy's door as a writing surface. She heard the scribble clearly, but she could not focus enough to discern exactly what he had written. Once he had finished his message on the small scrap he slid the note under Judy's door. The last thing he did was call to Bucky and Pronk, who were now arguing about whether identifying an animal through their voice was a form of prejudice - Nick wondered how Judy was still as sane as she was with such neighbors. Even his were at least normal in their arguments.

"Guys! I'm leaving, would you clamp your muzzles already!"

"Hey, don't talk to my husband like that." Buck shouted.

"I can speak for myself, don't act like you always speak for me." Pronk retorted back.

"Nothing I ever do is good enough for you, is it? Always _something_ wrong with what I say." Bucky shot back, and the argument spiraled in a new direction.

Throughout this exchange, Judy had several times reached for her door knob, but she always found herself stopped at the last moment by her uncertainty of what any further exchange between her and Nick would entail. After thinking over the things Geraldine had told her, she wanted to talk to Nick, but this just did not seem like the time to pursue it - especially with her crazy neighbors already listening in.

She picked up the message he had left her, opened it, and read.

 _I'll always want to be your partner. I just have different plans for me. I'll miss you._

Judy walked over to her bed with the note still in her hands, let it fall into her pack, and then proceeded to keep packing her stuff - now in tears.

* * *

 _Next chapter will be Nick shadowing some of the officers at Far-End before his duties officially begin. Judy will have her first weekend off without the most regular animal of her life around, so she will be heading to Bunnyburrow to see family._

 _Sorry if this is coming off melodramatic. I am aiming to get done with this story and move on to some other issues, but I hope the readers appreciate that this is what happens when we keep our troubles too much to ourselves. We can blow up at our friends and harm our relationships._

 _See you next time._


	10. Chapter 10

_The weekend before Nick officially assumes his duties at Far-End and both main characters have left Zootopia for the day. For Nick, he is going to Far-End to see the station in a more official capacity, learn where things are, and get his bearings. He reflects on the decision and thinks back on the stories his dad used to tell him about the Wild._

 _In the meantime, Judy is in Bunnyburrow, seeing family and getting herself back together. She is a tough character and bounces back quickly, but having your best friend dump on you about how you dominate their life (accurate though the concerns are) is a hard truth to swallow._

* * *

Judy came bouncing into the burrow, her ears hot and erect, her chest heaving, and her limbs sore. She had decided to go for an hour-long run before everyone else got up. Now that she had returned, her first stop: the kitchen sink. She did not bother with a cup, but lapped water right out of the tap to quench her thirst. Her next stop was the bathroom, where she was able to get some hot water mixed in as part of her ablutions. She still had memories of being a little kitten and having to share a whole tub with at least half-a-dozen (and often more) young bunnies when they got dirty. The new-born infants could count on a little bit of grooming from their mother, but after weaning, just as a bunny would start wearing clothes, so would they start bathing in a tub rather than be cleaned by their mother's administrations.

Judy was rather weary after a night of poor sleep. The ride from Zootopia had passed in the blink of an eye while she thought over all the complications that she had left behind. Her frustrations, rationalizations, and her attempts to reconcile all of the swirling thoughts in her head had turned more and more nebulous (though no less cacophonous) as she left the city behind. By the time she got to Bunnyburrow she could only say 'hi' to her parents and some of her siblings, grab a quick bite of the late-evening meal, and stumble into the guest room and into bed.

That morning, Judy had decided a long run was what she needed to clear her head and get her mind to a stable place. It had done a good job so far. The shower helped too, though she had to remember to save some hot water for the others. Zootopia had spoiled her a little; she preferred taking long showers if she could.

Emerging from the tub, and with her fur now sufficiently soaked and clean, she grabbed a towel and patted much of the excess moisture away, then headed back outside, still in her towel, to let the early morning sun beat down on her fur and carry away the last of the moisture.

This was something she would never have considered as a younger doe, when she had learned about laws of public indecency. Her time at the Academy had made her a little less squeamish since she had to use shared facilities for all of her bodily functions and grooming, so despite the conversation she had had with Nick only recently, having parts of her body at risk of being seen by others was not so terrifying for her these days. She was on her family's property anyway - who would be offended or make any sort of a big deal over it? Judy also had to admit to feeling a little pride in her good appearance and healthy physique. The bucks in Bunnyburrow had not shown her much attention growing up because she was so career-driven and serious, but when they saw her now - healthy and strong with nice feminine curves, and no mates - she had been witness to some of those bucks giving her very forward doe-calls.

As the rays warmed her, Judy raised her feet, stretched her legs, and allowed her thoughts to wander. She felt at peace for the most part, despite the upending of her normal work- and social-life in the last week.

Judy was still upset with Nick for leaving, but at least she had a new partner to work with in Travis, so she was not expecting to be sent back to meter-maid duty. As to her friendship with Nick, that was a little more complicated. Part of the issue to deal with, she decided, was whether or not she had been able to see things from Nick's perspective.

She had devoted a lot of time to think over what had happened in the department when she brought up the issue of gender discrimination all of those months ago. It was true that since that time Nick did not seem to be receiving a particularly warm welcome among their colleagues, and if she compared his acceptance with what she had been experiencing at a similar stage in her career, she admitted that the majority of their coworkers had nowhere near the same regard for him as they had had for her.

There was also the fact that Nick was the kind of animal who would keep things bundled up and avoid voluntarily sharing his problems until they got really out of hand. He was reluctant to share such matters even with her. She had known this to be true from their earliest encounters, so his reticence about sharing his difficulties was not surprising, and she probably should have kept a closer watch on his situation. She had felt so elated since those shake-ups, and thought that she and Nick were so in-sync as they made such big and important changes together, that she had forgotten the important fact that her partner often felt very alone; he cracked jokes, he grinned in self-assurance about his clever turns-of-phrase or fast-thinking, but it was very rare that he ever truly smiled.

There were times she began to think that he practically encouraged his own isolation. While she rebelled against society and worked to find her place in it, he put on a mask, adopted the stereotypes for which he was expected to accommodate, and kept his true self hidden and confined while all those around him mistook the situation as them actually knowing him. He had an amazing skill in being able to make it look like all was okay even as these pressures plagued him. He looked so composed and confident even when things were bad for him - even she could be sold on his facade.

She thought of Geraldine, the friend for whom she had worked hard to provide an opportunity to pursue the work she wanted. Even though Judy always thought Geraldine just wanted to be a beat cop in Downtown like everyone else at Precinct One, she never really took the time to appreciate the fact that her giraffe friend had wanted, for good reason, to do her work somewhere that would better accommodate her uniqueness. Judy had come to see the parallels between Geraldine and Nick, and now more than ever she understood why Nick felt so drawn to Far-End. The officers at that site did not seem to judge by species, so they did not seem unwelcoming of him as a fox. If there was an opportunity for him to do some case-work and learn to be a detective, maybe it made sense for him to work in a smaller pond where he was the biggest fish (or perhaps even the only fish). Plus, if he was so driven to do it, then she should encourage him one-hundred percent.

That only left the blow-up that had occurred at Nick's apartment on Tuesday for her to deal with. Though the short note he had given her at least made her feel a bit better, having her feelings so severely hurt was something Judy felt she still had to work through. It reminded her of their first case, when she had let slip insensitive comments while talking to the press that had cut Nick to the quick, and he had stomped away from her with a cold, dismissive air. She had worked hard to regain his trust, to get him to come back to her and do what needed to be done. In the end, she had even gotten him to be her partner on the force like she had wanted.

"But I never asked what he wanted," she suddenly said to herself, echoing what Geraldine had made her think about. "And if he said anything it didn't seem to make a difference in my mind. I just pushed him to be like me; ignored all the signs, all the reasons, all the evidence that it wasn't supposed to be that way. And now it's come to this."

"Judy who are you talking to?" Came a voice behind her.

Judy hopped into the air at the sound and spun around. Her younger sister Janey had come out of the burrow and was quietly approaching her.

"Oh Janey, hi. I was just talking to myself."

"About something that happened in Zootopia? You came in last night like you had just gotten away from something - which, come to think about it, is not really your style."

Judy sighed. "I just... there's a big mess there and I felt I needed to get away from it and clear my head before I can approach it again."

"But won't it just be waiting for you when you get back? Why didn't you deal with it there?"

"Because the issue isn't in Zootopia it's in Far-End."

"Okay, so why didn't you go to Far-End?"

"Because I... look Janey it's complicated."

"And it's bumming you out and that's going to get Mom and Dad on your case, so you might as well tell me what it is so someone can help you through it - or at least so I can run interference with the folks."

Judy sighed again. Janey had always worked hard to wheedle the truth out of others if she sensed secrets. Though the point about Mom and Dad was true, it was was clearly just as much an attempt to force Judy to open up and share what was bothering her. Judy decided to at least share the general aspects of the problem without explicitly naming individuals. Maybe the younger Hopps rabbit would actually come through and help Judy in her situation - or at least voicing her problems out-loud might help Judy reach her own conclusions.

"One of my closest friends got a new job without telling me, and now that friend is leaving and I won't see them for a long time."

Janey nodded slowly. "Okay, that's too bad you won't get to see them for a while, but that sounds like good news for them."

"It is. And I understand all of the logical reasons why they should go, and I should be happy for them, but I can't get over the fact that they kept it secret from me. Now I feel foolish and I'm missing the friend who would make me feel better."

"This is about Nick, isn't it?"

Judy's eyes went wide. "It... um..." when she failed to respond immediately, Janey cocked eyebrow that dared Judy to lie. Judy gave up quickly and admitted the truth. "Yeah it is. How did you know?"

"That last morning you were both here I talked to him about Far-End and he said that he spoke to the rangers for a while. He mentioned that there was supposed to be a short-term ZPD officer job there that he thought sounded interesting."

"He told you he wanted that job?"

"No, I was asking about what he had been talking to them about. I heard about that officer position among a whole lot of things he discussed with them... besides, what other animal do we know who could make you feel so upset by their absence? It would have to be your best friend."

"Yeah..." Apparently Nick's plan to apply for the Liaison-Officer had not crystallized at the time of their last visit when he had first heard of it. Maybe it really had just fallen together like Geraldine and Nick both maintained it had.

"Come on," Janey interrupted Judy's thoughts. "Why don't you come inside and get dressed. I mean we all envy your athletic figure, but at some point you're gonna need to put some clothes on."

Judy relented and went in to get her clothes. Once she was decked out in her standard plaid shirt and jeans, Judy came outside with Janey. At Judy's insistence, and Janey's acceptance, they went to the garden to pick some berries to put in the morning salads and mash. It would give them time to talk as they did something essential, and it provided privacy since most of the kittens were still in the burrow.

"So how did this all get started?" Janey asked.

"Nick wants to be a detective."

"Well that makes sense. I mean, he's clever and he prefers using his head to using his paws or his claws. I think he'd make a good detective."

"A part of me, I think, always knew he didn't like being on the beat like me and the other officers. Nick really seemed to hate it when we had to go out looking for suspicious characters. And I remember, I always felt suspicious about kits who came walking through nice neighborhoods but dressed like they were from rougher parts of town: just like they taught us at the Academy. But Nick... he always looked at those kits briefly and then directed his eyes to other animals who - if you knew what you were looking for - actually were more suspicious: the ones we really should have been focusing on. He always knew something about animals that we passed and it didn't matter if they were well-dressed or looked important or what, he knew all of the animals that had their paws in dirty business."

"Well he knows things about the city that you don't. It's not fair to compare your abilities with his since he has so much background knowledge from a whole lifetime in Zootopia."

"I know, but... I always thought that that was why we needed him out on the beat so badly; to spot the things I couldn't, that the other officers couldn't. But it never really seemed to work. We never really took his side of it seriously, and it was only later that we realized the points he made were so important. We missed all of the really big fish by looking for small fry."

Judy then thought back to the argument in Nick's apartment.

"In fact, he told me that he never wanted to be out there because he thought it was such an unfair and biased way of dealing with justice. I could never get him to see my side of it and he could never get me to see his. I just thought he needed to time in order to grow into this kind of work, and I just pushed and pushed so he would keep at it."

"And you didn't ask him what he wanted, huh?" Janey asked.

Judy paused as she was picking a berry and made an audible sigh. "No I didn't. How did you guess?"

"Because Judy you're _you_. You see talent for something in an animal, you see a place it could be put to use, you assume that the animal will just jump at the chance to help and do things just as you imagine. And you work hard for them to fill that niché, but you don't usually ask them what they want."

Judy stopped her berry-picking to reflect on this. She knew she was a pusher, and it had served her well in the past. It got her to stand up to bullies as a kitten, it got her to go the Academy and pass with flying colors despite how everyone told her there was no place for her in the ZPD. It had gotten her the Otterton case, and it had gotten Nick to work for her. Pushing was her _modus_ _operandi_ , and she always felt it was the way to do it because it always seemed to get results. She was small, and she could be ignored, but she could push and push. Animals could only stand so much of her until they usually gave way and did as she said. It just seemed so wrong for it to not work like it so often had... and the suggestion to _not_ push... it sounded like crazy-talk to her.

...but then the evidence was there and she could not deny what Janey had said.

"No, I guess I don't ask."

"Don't get me wrong Judy I admire it. And it's wonderful to see how much you care. And Nick seems like the kind of animal that needs a friend like that: someone to give him the push he needs, and something to believe in. Let's face it, you've both been orbiting one another so closely since you started working in Zootopia, now you're very attached."

"Janey, we're not like that. Gosh, Geraldine, now you, why does everyone seem to think we're like that? We're friends."

"I didn't mean romantically. I meant that you feel a great sense of responsibility when it comes to Nick. You helped turn his life around and you made it possible for him to do things I doubt he ever dreamed of. And he's been a big part of your life in turn. You guys are like each other's family in Zootopia. But friendship and family take different kinds of work - my friends at school definitely take more work to get along with than you or the rest of my family."

"Yes I get that Janey, but the point is my friend just made a major life choice without letting me know and now he's just leaving and I'm supposed to be okay with it."

"Yeah that's true and it wasn't cool of him. But you made a big life choice by leaving here... twice in fact... and we all learned to be okay with it."

"I was never dishonest about what I intended to do with my life."

"No, but seeing our 'Jude-bug' leave home," Janey borrowed their father's pet-name, "really upset Mom and Dad. They mostly let it go because they saw how happy you are being a cop in Zootopia. And if you were doing anything other than what you wanted, if they had insisted that you stay closer to home, or never leave, maybe it would make them a little happier, but you would have been miserable. It would kill the whole point."

"Janey you have a remarkable amount of insight for one so young."

"I don't intend to stay in Bunnyburrow my whole life either, Judy. You needed so much reasoning to convince Mom and Dad to be okay with you going, I know I'm going to need to have all the reasons in place for why I need to follow my own dreams. You're the model I'm basing it off of - by the way, that means your my exhibit A so 'keep yourself together', or Mom and Dad are gonna use your experiences against me."

Judy grimaced and turned to look at Janey. "So on the matter of my issues, what you're saying is..."

"Sounds like Nick wants to take this job and be a detective some day. You could hold onto him with both paws and never let go, but I don't think he would ever really be happy with that. And seeing him being less than what he can be, wouldn't that make you sad too?"

Judy was silent, but her acceptance of what Janey said was clear. They spent the rest of their time in the garden on other matters - first silence, then small talk of no real consequence. That was not so much Judy's forte, but it was nice to just have her precocious and insightful little sister nearby.

* * *

At close to dawn, Nick boarded a train heading to Far-End, planning to see the station through the eyes of a visitor one last time before he took the job. With him he took a small duffel bag that contained his uniform, some water bottles, a rain poncho, his laptop, and several pads of paper. He arrived in Far-End a couple of hours later and made his way to the Glade Station. Thankfully, despite the forecast that convinced him to bring the rain poncho, the cloudy skies did not release any rain, so the gravel path did not include any mud puddles, and Nick did not arrive at the station soaked and dirty.

Nick came in through the main doors of the station and let them close behind him.

"Ah, our new Zootopian Liaison has arrived." Marten announced from the front desk. Grizz looked up from his one of the other desks and gave a smile and nod before looking back down at his work.

"I think officially I don't have that job until Monday." Nick pointed out.

"You're here, you're from Zootopia, and Tuske is gone - you're the Liaison. Learn to love it." Grizz called.

"Why don't you set your gear over at your desk and get situated." Marten suggested, pointing towards a separate office.

"I get my own _office_?"

"Well we hope that you'll actually leave the door open," Marten said as he aimed a paw and one digit over his shoulder toward an office in the back. "That way we can come in and talk to you if we have work for you to be involved in."

"Certainly hope to see you on this side of that door now and then." Grizz added.

"I intend to be... now and then..." Nick remarked as he walked towards the office with the door marked _Liaison_. He opened the door and found it fairly sparse. Apparently anything having to do with Tuske did not seem to have been retained. There was a computer, some trays on the desk for paperwork, several shelves where boxes of files could be stored, one swivel chair at the desk that was against the wall beside to the door frame, and a couple of fixed-frame chairs along the far wall that Nick guessed would be sufficient to seat Bambini and Marten, but were probably a little small for Grizz. He was already in love with it.

"Well Dad, I made it to The Wild, and got an office just after I got in the door." Nick said to the air. He set his pack inside the office and came out again into the main room. Marten spotted him and called him over to the door.

"Hey Nick, I'm going to go on the local survey of the camp sites and parking spots - see if anyone left anything, stayed after hours and what-not. Wanna come?"

"Sure." Nick responded, and followed Marten out the door.

Nick kept just to the side and behind of Marten. Marten was scarcely taller than Judy, and did not stand quite as tall and confidently as she did, but Nick could sense cool, collected and mature sense in the smaller, more senior officer. They made their way out the door when Nick realized he had left his rain poncho. He thought of going back for it but then realized he would have other days like this, so he better get used to the likelihood of going out and getting wet.

 _Besides, I may need an emergency poncho one day._

As Nick and Marten went down one of the trails, a marmot in a ranger-type uniform came by, leading a group of voles, mice and rats.

"One of the rangers," Marten whispered over his shoulder to Nick. "A colleague of mine from before my policing days. Better give him the road, we'll cut through the brush."

"Now everyone, it was in places like the Wild where animals used to run freely, exposed to the elements and at the mercy of primal instincts. On days like this, some animals chose to wander through the underbrush and let the smell of rotting logs and other forest smells block their scent. Everyone smell the air."

Nick smiled and shook his head at the performance and followed Marten into the scrub.

"Ah, and our good resident officers are demonstrating something quite important," the guide said as they walked by. "It is believed that predators could hide their own scent from smaller prey animals by smearing their coats with the dew on plants and the natural forest smell would hide their own natural odors. Don't worry, I know Marten and I am sure the new officer is not a danger to anyone."

Nick felt incensed by the comment, but kept it to himself.

"I hear it too." Marten said. "Ignore him. Most of the rangers are better mannered than him, he just tries to keep the crowd awake and paying attention."

Nick chose not to comment.

Marten took Nick through several of the campgrounds Nick had passed through on his last trip here and several others. In several instances, Marten stopped by a campsite and spoke to the campers to check if they were packing up or paying for an extension to their stay. Many of the inhabitants made some excuse affecting to one of the two courses of action, and Marten and Nick went on their way. Nick was going to ask Marten if he was going to just take their comments at face-value, Marten waved off the concerns and continued on.

After nearly an hour of this, Nick wanted to press Marten for how he was going to attend to those individuals. Marten only replied:

"Take a note."

Nick reflexively reached for the pad of paper he had stuck in his side pocket.

The puma did not seem particularly friendly, though it seemed more a matter of annoyance at being interrupted than in any form of open hostility.

"Nick could you remind me who has reserved this site?

Nick pulled out the sheet that Marten had given him as they walked through the sites. He scanned the lists and found the lot they were in and a name and information associated with it.

"I'm... not seeing a name for today, which I believe means no reservation and no payment."

"Hmm," Marten mused. "And who had this site yesterday?"

"Name for this lot was... Mr. Arthur Felidopholos, one camper, one tent, two cubs."

"Hmm," Marten repeated. "Do the vehicle and occupants match the descriptions you see written there?"

"Yes they do." Nick replied, having adopted the matter of fact, self-assured tone of voice that Marten was using.

"Hmm, now Mr. Felidopholos, my partner and I are just need to make sure you get your ticket to keep your reservation for the site. As you know, the per-day cost for camping in this lot is eight dollars, and for those wishing to stay additional nights - as I gather you do - need to make their purchases by 1100 hours. It is now just past that time and I noticed you did not have the new ticket attached to the post at the entrance to your lot. So, I wanted to offer you the chance to purchase it from the officer, we will record you as staying another day, and we can save you the trip over to the Glade Station."

Mr. Felidopholos clearly was not pleased about being pressured to pay for his site so soon, but he grudgingly went to his jacket and pulled out his wallet and presented Martin with a tenner, for which Martin gave the big cat his change.

"Thank you sir. Nick, would you please mark Mr. Felidopholos as continuing on at this site, and sir," Marten said, looking back at the larger predator, "I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here. I will place a new tag on the post at the entrance to your site and all should be put to rights. Good day, and have a good day cubs." Marten called to the little cubs who were gleefully stirring the wood in the campfire. They waved their paws and Mr. Felidopholos gave both Martin and Nick a nod as he turned back to spend time with his cubs.

"Wow, never would have pictured you putting the squeeze on anyone." Nick remarked to Marten once they were a way from the Felidopholos campsite.

"I believe it was you who had all of the information on the fellow," Marten responded. "I just reminded him of the rules and had you confirm that he, and he specifically, had yet to follow them to the letter."

"Still, pretty cool how you did that."

"Something I learned early on in this job. The forests are large enough and we are few enough that we cannot possibly be aware of all that happens. Our best bet is to make use of the systems that track those going in and out, and show up just often enough that we can keep them aware of what they owe for use of the facilities. I try my best to remind them that the facilities are for their uses and the use of all animals in perpetuity. It seems to help when they know that their actions will carry on for a while."

"I take it our size probably requires us to take measures Grizz may not." Nick offered.

"Sometimes, but then that's what we have our rules for. Could deal with a giant bull elephant that could squish me with one foot and never notice, but I've found even the biggest and most contentious animals will bend to the rule of law... still, it helps to have witnesses."

"So no doing this sort of thing on one's own, then." Nick finished.

"Avoid doing it alone, but get it done one way or another." Martin amended.

Some of the other exchanges with slow-to-respond park visitors were more of the same. While not as varied as an average day of work in Zootopia, Nick found it nice doing this work. His partner taught him, included him, and asked only for attention to detail, which Nick had plenty of.

When Nick and Martin returned to the office a light rain had begun to fall. Fortunately they got in just as the first big drops started to patter on his ears. The tour that Nick had encountered earlier was now in the main room of the station and the tour guide was still going. Right now the tour guide was getting into topics about the first animals that built huts and kept more permanent villages that were not burrows. Nick remembered hearing about this part of animal history; or lore more appropriately since writing was only a few thousand years old, and by the time writing came about, all animals were sharing the same script, so the formation of trust between one another, and peace between predators and prey was already established.

"No one knows how it all began, but a number of theories offer us insight..." the tour-guide continued. Nick remembered hearing the same things in school. No one knew. Then again there seemed little incentive for anyone to actually get to the truth - predators did not need to remind other animals that they had once had to eat them to survive, and many prey did not like to look at a time when their own kind were persecuted and hunted.

"Let's get to the squad car," Martin said, tearing Nick away from the tour guide. "Got some more patrol in town to take care of."

Nick snatched the poncho from his office and followed Martin out the side door to find only two cars in the lot; one large enough for Grizz, one just large enough to accommodate Nick in addition to Martin. Not much in between, but then there were not too many animals in between. Until Nick remembered.

"Hey, which car would Bambini take?" Nick asked as he put on his seat belt.

"The one he's driving now." Marten replied. "One car can't patrol all of the streets in town in one morning. One animal keeps shop, one or two check the camp grounds, one patrols the first half of town and then the first animals spell them."

"Sounds like one animal calling in sick is going to throw this all into confusion."

"How do you think Bambini got his job? Grizz was sick that day and someone needed to watch the front." Marten put the car in gear and pulled out of the lot.

"What about the night shift?"

"We have a few guys in that position. Arthur Link, he's a bobcat. Chuck Bowers, he's a beaver... mostly guys who are naturally inclined to low light conditions. Grizz actually started with those hours, but having a giant bear walking through the woods at night started scaring some of the guests, and Grizz wanted to spend more time seeing the forest during the day."

"What about the Liaison? Do they need to stay up with the night shift?"

"The Liaison just has to do the job, and the job just needs to get done. Hours start to fall away at this job, Nick. We do what has to be done and we stay for as long as it takes. Sometimes it ends on-time, sometimes it goes overtime, but we don't have the money to pay for overtime so I suggest you not ask for it. That's just kinda how it is."

Nick nodded and settled back as Martin continued driving.

The patrol in the nearby town was fairly short. Officially the incorporated community was called Far-End Village, but Nick learned from Martin that every resident called themselves a 'Wild-tonian'. The colloquial name of the nearby forests held greater sway than anything a batch of official documents from the megapolis of Zootopia might tell them. This was The Wild.

Nick continued working with Martin, Grizz, and later Bambini for the rest of the day. He learned where all of the documents were kept, where he could get a meal from the vending trucks that came near the station without trespassing on park property, and was made aware that he would need to bring snacks since it was unlikely that they could get proper meals most days. He learned just enough about the computers to know how not to delete important documents, though not quite enough that he felt more comfortable with their system than he did with the ZPD network in Precinct One.

As the sun sunk from the sky and the shadows lengthened, Nick let them now he had to get going so he could get his belongings from his apartment back in Zootopia and be back to wrap up his orientation the following afternoon.

"We didn't scare you away already did we?" Grizz asked.

"Not as yet." Nick teased back and waved goodbye as he made his way back to town. None of the officers offered him a ride, but seeing the backlog of paperwork on nearly every desk, Nick had a feeling that there was a lot of work still to do before any of them were going home.

 _Looks like I'll really be earning my keep, Dad_. Nick thought to himself as he looked back at the station and at the vista of woods along his path to town and the train back to Zootopia.

* * *

Judy spent the rest of her day with her parents and a large group of her nieces and nephews. While many of the rabbits from her generation had gone off and married; making burrows either adjacent to the burrow and farmland of her parents, or a little further away, many of them still sent their kittens to their grandparents. Judy could remember being a young kit and many of her siblings going to the burrows of both sets of grandparents, but she had grown to feel unwelcome among her paternal grandparents. They had a very traditional sense of what a rabbit, and in particular a female rabbit, was expected to be and do. Her maternal grandparents she remembered had been more supportive of her eccentric desires to be in law enforcement. Neither of them had left the tri-county area in their lives, but they encouraged Judy in all that she dreamed of doing. Watching her Mom tend to her nieces and nephews she could see much of the same dreamer-encouragement that Judy remembered getting from her mother's own parents. It was encouraging to see that that openness to new ideas and unconventional behavior had another home now that her own grandparents did not have the time of strength to really tend to so many grandkits.

Judy had arrived at the train station in the early evening after a last meal with her parents and a small group of siblings and younger bunnies. 'Small' by rabbit standards meant roughly a score of rabbits instead of the near hundreds it could have been. She was on the platform with her father and mother and her closest siblings saying her last goodbyes. Judy could remember a time when this sort of event had occasioned so many tears and sadness at her departure. Now it was much more routine and everyone seemed more secure in the knowledge that she went where she was supposed to be and would find her way back when time granted.

"Jude-bug are you sure you can't stay another night?" The Hopps patriarch asked of his daughter.

"The trains won't get her back in time for work tomorrow, Stu." The matriarch reminded him. "Remember her schedule?"

"I'm sorry it was a short trip you guys. I'll do my best to find some time to come see everyone again soon." Judy promised.

She gave them both her customary double hug and cheek peck and then grabbed her pack and headed for the doors to the train. She had already given most everyone else a hug and a peck on the cheek goodbye. She was ready to go.

As she lifted her foot to step into the train, one last voice rose from the small group of rabbits.

"Judy, are you ready to solve what you need to?"

Judy looked back and saw Janey standing apart from the rest of the Hopps clan. She was closest to Judy now and could get in these last few words without any of the rest of the family listening. Judy gave a sad smile.

"I think so. Thanks Janey. I'll call you soon."

Janey would not take such a dismissal and jumped as Judy started to turn. She held her sister closely in one final embrace, that Judy returned with an awkward reach and back-pat, which was all she could manage in her current position. Janey withdrew to the rest of the family and Judy got on board the train just as the doors closed. She turned and waved, but only her parents and Janey were still looking and waving. Most of the rest of the Hopps rabbits had started to head to the exit of the platform.

 _I guess this has gotten fairly routine_. Judy thought to herself, but she kept waiving to the remaining rabbits until the train left the station and passed from view.

For the few hours that she was on the train, Judy just sat and left her mind roll as she listened to Gazelle's newest album. _I need to find some other artists to listen to_ , Judy thought to herself. It was true her music choices were fairly restricted, but then she knew what she liked. For a little while she just left the album on shuffle and let the music play itself and dull out the sounds of the world.

Judy was close to dozing off when the lights from the sky began to fade and the sharp lights characteristic of Zootopia suddenly appeared through the windows of the train car. Judy looked out the window and sighed. She had lived in the city two years now and though some parts had grown commonplace, she still managed to find enchantment in what she could see all around her. The colors of the sunset now bathed her city in a golden, fiery glow that made it look almost as if on fire. Many buildings had begun to turn on their exterior lights, especially on their roofs, but many were still only marginally lit by late-night office workers, and reflected the red light of the evening sun in beautiful flashes from their windows. It caused a staccato sequence of flashes in the train as they rounded the city, and Judy smiled widely to see it all again.

On the platform the foot traffic was still considerable, but less intense on a Saturday night than most other nights of the week - most animals were already in the city or left and were enjoying themselves in either place. Judy smiled and hurried to the escalator and up to the street level. She knew Ben would be on the evening patrol and decided to look for him. He was over in the squad car making his rounds. Judy hurried his direction and waved. The cruiser slowed and the window came down to reveal Ben.

"Hi Judy. Back already?"

"Yeah, I didn't find anyone to take my shift tomorrow."

"I'm sorry. I would've, but I'm already scheduled to work that day too. So how was your trip?"

"It was good. Saw my sister and talked to her for a while," she started look a little down, but then recovered. "My parents are the same as ever - 'am I thinking I might move?' that sort of thing. I think seeing me will tie them over for at least a week before they start calling and asking me to come home again."

"I wish I wasn't on the clock now, we could hang out."

"That would be nice. Well, I shouldn't hold you up. I'll see you at the Precinct tomorrow. Goodnight Ben."

Before Ben could say anything more, Judy had patted the door and waved goodbye as she headed for one of the buses further up the sidewalk. A few minutes later, Judy had reached her building. As she alighted from the bus and looked up at the dingy exterior she found her thoughts slipping back to earlier when she had mentioned talking with Janey.

Judy realized that she needed to do something about the Nick situation. She got out her phone and saw that it was close to the time when he would be getting back to the city. She raced inside and got herself into her room before the noise and the shouting from Bucky and Pronk could derail her - and before her footfalls could alert them to her presence. Once inside, she put on her headphones, adjusted the small microphone in the cord so it was near her mouth, and selected one of the most frequently used numbers in her call history.

She leaned back in her chair as it rang.

* * *

As the train from Far-End pulled into the station, Nick stood at the doors with his pack set firmly on his shoulders. The number of passengers coming from Far End at this time of night was low, so the doorway was not crowded. When at last the train stopped and the doors open, Nick was able to walk out relatively slowly as he found his way across the platform and towards the stairs. For some reason he had always hated escalators - probably because with his bushy tail he had no faith in any piece of ground that could grip his fur and pull under. He had been warned by his mother, while a kit, about foxes that got caught in escalators and were pulled under and never seen again. Nick had long-since learned that such stories were ridiculous, but they left an indelible mark on his feelings towards escalator. If he was getting to another level, he would take an elevator or find the stairs and hike it himself.

The stairs were closer, so he chose to walk up. As he went, a buzz came from his pocket. Nick fished his cell phone out of his pocket and took a few moments to collect himself when he saw the name on the caller ID. He breathed deeply, waited until the third ring, and then accepted the call and put the phone to his ear.

"Hi." He said simply, and with a reasonably friendly tone.

"Hi." Judy responded, in a tone that said she felt tense but wanted to keep things calm.

Not wanting to leave any silence and allow her to grow more tense, Nick responded almost immediately. "How-how are you? How was your Saturday."

"It was good. I just got back to my apartment. I went to see my parents all day."

"Oh that-that sounds nice. Are they okay? Any new Hopps bunnies around? There seemed to a new one every time I visited with you." He gritted his teeth, feeling foolish for mentioning those times.

She smiled despite herself. "Yeah my folks are fine, and now that you mention it there was a new arrival during the last week. My newest niece born to my sister Mary. How was your almost-first day?"

"Hmm," he smiled over the phone, "it went well. I was at Glade Station, saw my new desk and got acquainted with the computer system and the case-file system... or rather the lack of one. I went out the door with Marten and was on patrol immediately before I could get any time to become familiar with anything else. A-and I saw the bunk house where I'm going to be sleeping until I get a real place in town. Kinda wishing I had got that squared away a bit earlier - but then the interview was only the other week and the heads-up hire came on Monday."

"Yeah I... maybe I could have helped you find a place." Realizing that her comment might have come off a bit rude Judy immediately offered to be more helpful. "I could still look online and see if I see anything if that would help."

Nick was surprised, but took the offer. "That-that would be nice, thanks."

"Okay well I need to get some sleep. I'm on patrol tomorrow with Travis."

"Yeah... yeah of course. I-um, I need to finish packing. I just brought a day-pack today, so I need to get all of my clothes and toiletries ready for tomorrow."

"When do you think you'll be back in town again?" Nick thought for certain her voice sounded a little hopeful.

"I'm not sure. From what Tuske told me he sort of had to lie, steal and cheat to get time away... but then those are things I always had a knack for so... I expect I'll be back soon." Judy smiled a little to hear him joke, even if it was somewhat at his own expense.

Nick concluded with "I promise you'll be the first to know when I find time to come back."

She nodded. Even if he could not see her, she still nodded. "Good. I don't wanna lose touch. I hope it works out. And... if you ever need anything you can always call."

"Yeah I hope it works too. I'm sure you'll do well with Travis. Just tell him I said to listen to his partner. He won't find a better one."

She absorbed that for a few seconds before speaking again. "Okay. Well I... I'll miss you Nick. Good luck."

"Yeah... yeah take care Judy I... I'll see you."

With that, Nick hung up the phone. At once he felt relieved to have ended the tension, but on the other paw he was sad to have left things as he had. He had been hoping to resolve a few things over the phone, but little seemed to have changed.

 _I guess talking is good enough for now_. He thought to himself. _At least we seem willing to try._

On her end, Judy felt relieved too. She had built up in her mind a number of scenarios where she spoke to Nick, tensions would be high and tempers would flare. The actual result had been much calmer and she had come away from the exchange feeling at least a little better about where she and Nick were. There was tension still, and a great deal left to say. Yet... they both seemed willing to talk, and wanted to keep the friendship alive. If nothing else, she could say that they both cared enough to try, and that was something.

* * *

"Hey Nick. Nick over here." Came the voice of Ben Clawhauser in a nearby police cruiser. As he crossed the open walkway, Nick turned to see the upbeat beat cop waving from the driver's seat of his cruiser. Nick redirected his steps to aim towards the cruiser and waived at his old short-term partner.

"Ben, what are you doing here?"

"I was on the later shift. Just about to head in. So, you psyched about Monday?"

Nick nodded slowly. "Yeah, I am. I really am. I just came from the station and the unit out there. Not a bad day."

"Cool, hey I could give you a lift if you'd like."

Nick thought for a moment and then nodded. "Sure, if you don't mind heading towards my neighborhood."

Ben shrugged and opened the passenger door. Nick circled around the front, hopped in, and adjusted the seat so that he could just see over the dashboard.

"I saw Judy come in a little while ago. She was out at Bunnyburrow with her parents the whole weekend, that was why didn't make it to the party last night. You seemed a bit bummed about that. I noticed you kept looking for her."

Seeing no good way to lie about the situation, Nick decided not to answer and kept his maw shut.

"Odd that she would schedule a trip with only one day, and on the night we were all saying goodbye to _you_ no less."

Nick shook his head. "Well she probably wanted to see her folks. Once in a while you just gotta do that."

"You know, I haven't said anything, but when I really think about it, you guys have been a bit distant since Monday night. Is something going on?"

Nick exhaled. Now he was on the spot... and since he was leaving... "Yeah Ben, Judy and I aren't in a good place at the moment. A lot of pent up problems that kind of all came out at once."

Ben tentatively offered a theory. "Is it because of Travis being her partner and you going away? Friendship strain?"

Against his typical judgment, Nick decided to speak the truth. "I didn't tell her about the Liaison job, not even when I was applying for it. Then I took it and... well suffice it to say that not telling her was a poor method of handling it."

"Wait, you didn't _tell_ her?"

"Ben, the road!" Nick exclaimed just before Ben ran the cruiser through a red light. The cheetah officer slammed on the breaks and both of them lurched forward in their seats as the squad car skidded to a halt.

"Sorry, sorry... you okay?" Ben checked and Nick nodded. "Good, good, sorry. But what's this about you not telling Judy? She's your partner. More than that, she your best friend! Why wouldn't you tell her about this stuff?"

"Ben I feel bad enough as it is, you don't have to make me feel worse. I called her just before you offered me the ride, I've apologized to her several times, I even went to her place the night of the send-off party and she wouldn't answer her door. I'm not sure what else I can do now. She and I can at least still talk, I guess that's all I can hope for."

"But... I mean this is 'Nick and Judy'. You guys are the closest friends I've seen in the Precinct in probably all of my time there."

"I guess maybe we're just not as close as you thought."

"The hell you aren't!" Ben snapped. Nick was actually rather shocked to hear his big-softy of a friend get so angry. "You guys _are_ that close. I know it, she knows it, and _you_ know it too!"

Nick took a deep breath and blinked his eyes in a look of shame.

"Yeah Ben, we are close. And yeah, I screwed things up and that's on me. But what can I do now if I'm leaving and we can barely get by with talking to one another? I'm out of time, and I don't know what I can do to convince her to see me. I told you I already went to her place, knocked on her door and even gave my apologies _to_ the door and left a note. Then I called her... I'm not sure what else to do."

"Well..." For another few moments, as they neared Nick's apartment, Ben was silently mouthing something to himself, working out a plan and trying to see that it all matched up. He then sat upright and looked at Nick's direction as he pulled up in front of the apartment building.

"When 's your train leave?"

"I was going to take the 830, why?"

"I can work with that. Just stay on the platform for as long as possible. I'll take care of the rest."

"Ben it would probably help if you just tell me what you're..."

"Have a good trip Nick. I'll see you when you come to visit. We'll be in touch." With that, Ben opened the passenger side door and all but shoved Nick out. He gave him a wave, a _good luck_ , and took off driving up the street before turning around and heading back towards the Precinct. Nick could only stare in mild bewilderment at his sudden egress from the cruiser.

* * *

 _From the beginning I wanted this story to deal with personal growth and opportunities for improvement, but also friendship, and about the kinds of trials that are intrinsic to having someone like Judy Hopps as your best friend. She will love you and fight for you. She will be your champion and she will never quit - but if her goals and plans for you are not aligned with what you had planned for yourself, then redirecting her course to match yours is a challenge... and if you are a closed-off individual like Nick Wilde - who lives life by never letting others see that they get to you - the challenge of getting your friend to see things from your perspective is even greater._

 _The more you think about it, even though Nick worked as a con artist and interfaced with other animals all of the time, his closed-off nature smacks heavily of him being an introvert (loner, brooding, thinking). By contrast Judy, though very self-motivated and somewhat solitary, is at heart probably more of an extrovert (exuberant, sociable and engaging). Getting an extrovert to appreciate the perspective of an introvert is a constant struggle._

 _All of this leads to a lot of repressed feelings and rising tensions, and if these issues are not addressed, they result in an explosion that can hurt everyone (see the previous two chapters)._

 _In all of my stories, understand that I do not create problems for the sake of just writing about problems for everyone to watch and say 'oh, so sad' and 'what a shame, glad that isn't me' - this is not schadenfreude. I try to identify where there could be issues for those who choose to take on the more difficult aspects of society, as these characters do. I try to find a way for individuals like Judy, Nick and the rest of the cast to respond to these challenges, being true to how I first they were first described, and I try to have them work towards a solution. For me as a writer, a story told only for the sake of discussing problems and never dealing with solutions misses the point and is a waste of time for the writer and the reader._

 _Up to this point, both sides of the problem (being our two main characters) have been coming to their own separate realizations: Nick realizing just how much Judy means to him despite his dislike of how she dominates his life, and Judy realizing that she needs to respect Nick's choices, even if it means letting Nick put some physical distance between them for a time._

 _In t_ _he next (and final) chapter of this story, a new phase begins for both of them._

 _Thank you for reading._


	11. Chapter 11

_Welcome to the last chapter of this story. Nick now heads to Far-End to take up his station as the Liaison-Officer for the ZPD while_ _Judy starts her first day back to work after her Saturday in Bunnyburrow with her first partner truly gone._

 _The friendship between the two main characters seems to have waned and may be on the road to collaps... but that is why they have other friends - those who can save them from themselves._

 _Enter our unlikely hero, stage left, Ben Clawhauser._

* * *

The clock struck 5:30 and the alarm began to blare. A paw tapped the off button, and two furry feet met the floor with a mild thud before the small mammal who owned them stood up from their bed.

 _Time to get ready_.

Nick shook himself to get his fur to stand up from his body. He had enough of it that when he lay down on a surface it would all become flattened against his body and leave him with bed fur. Still Nick had it better than other small predators. Some of his friends of the Arctic persuasion had such thick fur that they complained of constantly capturing little reminders of every fragment, chip and nugget of the city in their fur. They had to clean themselves at least twice a day or they started to look gray instead of white. The red, russet fur of his coat meant that Nick could blend in a lot of places with industrial development and not look dirty.

 _I bet red would look better against the woods than against steel and concrete_ , he thought as he grabbed the last of his bags and set them by the door. The apartment was now nearly empty. The badger he was subletting it from had been made aware of his desire to end the contract and this afternoon the badger had a team coming to wipe the place down for the next inhabitants.

 _Sweeping and waxing the floors to make the sty at the edge of the ghetto look more livable - some animals are the craziest._ Nick thought to himself.

He did not linger, but quickly drew up the last of his belongings, deflated the air mattress he had been sleeping on, and took his stuff out of the apartment and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, and at the same time, another alarm began blaring and another mammal tapped it to silence before getting out of bed.

 _Today it begins_.

Judy lacked her usual spring, though given the week she had had it was understandable. She quickly cleaned, groomed, dressed, and left the apartment. No pause and no moment to reflect - she simply got up and went. In her mind there had been enough reflecting and though she was still feeling broody she knew that she could not afford to keep wallowing in her misery and thoughts. She needed to get back to work. She had a new partner, and she needed to be able to work with him as best she could.

The commute to work was not a pleasant one, but Judy felt like she was ready for what was coming. She would go on her rounds with a new partner. She would train him properly and pay closer attention, and she would continue living her life. She would be happy with it.

* * *

Among the many other animals across Zootopia who had to get up at these early dawn hours and silence the noise of their alarm clock, one more did so with a very different thought.

 _Gotta act fast_.

Ben Clawhauser rolled off his mattress and started doing a few stretches to get himself loosened up from his slumber. He wiped himself down with some sanitary wipes to get rid of any bed smell and dandruff that he had lodged in his fur. With his size it would take a little too long to shower and dry off, but the sanitary wipes got rid of anything odiferous or unsanitary in his fur. He suited up, left his apartment building, and took a short jog to a small café in Downtown. He ordered two bagels and two coffees and then walked to a spot near the government buildings where he set out the professional-working-breakfasts at two spots. He settled in to sip his coffee and munch on his bagel and was soon joined by another animal who settled in next to him comfortably and lifted the coffee he had left for her.

"Buenos dias mi fuerte policia," said the elegant looking gazelle as she brought the coffee to her lips.

"I can only stay for a few minutes," he replied. "I need to get some things in place as soon as my Chief comes in. Glad you could come to see me though." He took another sip. "I always feel like things go much more smoothly on days when I see you."

"I am glad we get to see each other as well. What is it you are doing, Ben?"

"Helping save a great friendship for two really amazing animals that need some help."

"Mmm, so noble Ben. I would like to hear more when you are done," she sighed. "The tours are about to start again and I will soon have even less of these morning with my dear friend. And after so many weeks spent with protests when I could scarcely see or speak with you."

"Ahhh... you're gonna miss me." Ben crooned, half in mourning at the thought of further separation from his friend, and half in pleasure that she too felt as he did with regard to their separation. He and Gazelle were an unlikely pair of friends since they ran in such different circles and saw so little of one another. Nevertheless, they had bonded and over the months since their first meeting it had blossomed into a firm friendship.

 _Not yet as strong as the one that needs my help_ , Ben thought to himself.

"I hope you do not mind that I work with the protesters. I only want as many animals as would come to Zootopia to be free to come."

"I know. It's good that you do."

"So many times we could have done this, and now it will be months before we can do it again."

"We each have to do what we have to do, Gazelle. At least we get to do it knowing that we have a friend who understands us."

He took another sip of his coffee and looked at the time on his phone.

"Oh, the Chief will be here soon. I gotta go."

"Go and be a hero for me, Ben." She patted his shoulder and smiled warmly. Ben held her hoof to his shoulder and smiled back before he stood up from his seat and headed for the precinct. He was in luck, for right at that moment the tall, burly form of Bogo was entering the front doors. Ben knew that the Chief would go to the kitchen to grab the first cup of the latest brew of coffee, and would then go to his office for a half hour before the rest of the new shift arrived and morning announcements would be needed. It was a fortunate occurrence that Bogo happened to be on this Sunday. Ben did not have as a good a rapport with the other section leaders, and he needed a 'yes' for what he intended.

Once the Chief had his coffee and had taken a deep pull from is mug, Ben fell into step beside the large officer as he made his way to the stairwell.

"Good morning Chief."

Bogo grimaced. "Clawhauser what have we discussed?"

"That you don't deal with business until you're in your office?"

"And that from the moment I get my coffee to the moment I sit at my desk, what time is that?"

"Chief time."

"And who is allowed to talk with me during 'Chief time'?"

"The mayor, or a dead animal."

"Have you been elected to office since last night Officer Clawhauser?"

"Not as such Chief."

"Is it your wish to become the latter of those two options, Clawhauser?"

"No Chief."

"Well then Clawhauser, wait until after the meeting."

"It's about today's patrol, Chief. And Officer Paen."

Bogo paused for a moment in his ascent and looked down at Clawhauser.

"Is there an emergency I should be made aware of Officer Clawhauser?"

"No Chief, nothing like that - at least none that I know of, but something I need to discuss with you before you start the meeting that has bearing on who he's assigned with this morning."

"I am going to take a long walk and finish my coffee. When I return to my desk, you will inform me of the dilemma." Bogo then continued ascending and Ben ascended more slowly and headed to the Office of the Chief, while the Chief himself walked in another direction - where there were fewer animals around to demand things of him.

* * *

"So you want to bring Officer Hopps on your patrol this morning and have Officer Paen do half of the Downtown patrol on his own. Is that the gist of it Clawhauser?" Bogo asked as he looked askance at the cheetah in his office.

"Not alone Chief, I know he's a rookie and he needs oversight. I just thought that maybe if Judy was with me then she could watch how the kit handles himself. He'll have some rough spots, but I was thinking it would be better for Judy to watch from a distance and determine what needs fixing. If she's right there with him he might handle himself differently. I mean, when I started out with Officer McHorn I know I was acting differently when I was with him than when I was on my own. I think if he had seen me work without his oversight then he would have picked up on things that needed fixing faster. So I just thought that if Judy and I both took the time to watch how Travis handles it flying solo then we could spot his weak spots early and fix them before they become habits. We make this a kind of, a... self-analysis, or... . Am I making sense Chief?"

"Seems like a fair amount of extra work for you and Hopps when you should be focusing on the task at hand."

Clawhauser nodded and came back with another point.

"I agree Chief, task at hand is good, but while training Travis to do his job Judy already has to divide her focus. At least this way she's with someone a little more senior while she's divided. I can give her tips on how to improve his performance and coach her on how to teach him."

Clawhauser suddenly realized that he could use Hopps's own personality to make his case.

"Judy does have a habit of being demanding from the get-go Chief. She's a great officer, but you have to admit, once in a while her energy outpaces her experience and sense."

Bogo gave Clawhauser a nod. Hopps was a fantastic officer, but she was also hot-headed and prone to idealism that often conflicted with reality. She was like a gadfly to sting the department and make sure they adhered to the ideals of their job, but that sometimes came at the cost of realism. Bogo reasoned that Officer Paen, and furthermore Hopps herself, could do with a healthy dose of realism. For all his goofiness, Clawhauser was a realist... maybe it would be good for them...

"How exactly are you going to go about this, Clawhauser?"

 _Asking questions about execution. He's considering it!_ Clawhauser thought gleefully.

"I was thinking that instead of going from one end of the main drag to another we go as one unit: Travis takes one half of the street, I'll take the other with Judy. Judy and I hang back a unit or two on the street so we aren't breathing down his neck, and we take turns watching him and compare notes. So Travis learns to do his job relatively solo, we learn what he needs to improve on, he comes out of it with a little more confidence about being about to interact with the public on his own, and we get a view of how he handles the job without being there to tell him all the way through."

"Hmm..." Bogo steepled his hooves, or at least put them together as best he could as he pondered. Ben held his breath. He needed the Chief to okay this plan if he was going to have any hope of success in what came next.

"All right Clawhauser. I'll assign Hopps to work with you, and the both of you supervise Paen. I had planned to send Barkowitz with Sharp today, so bringing Hopps along shouldn't make things crowded in your squad car."

Clawhauser pumped his fist and then straightened. "Uh, thanks Chief. Will you want our report on what we find?"

"If he isn't harassing anyone or causing problems or violating policy or law, you handle any of the rough spots yourselves, Clawhauser."

Clawhauser gave an eager salute. "Yes Chief! I'll see you downstairs at the meeting."

With that the younger cheetah officer left, Bogo sighed, and scratched out and wrote in a few things on his morning roster.

 _Always something in this unit_ , he mumbled. Bogo had learned how to make use of a facial expression that he was sure was unique to animals in his position of authority - he could make his face grin ever so slightly while his throat let out an exasperated sigh. It seemed appropriate for how the department made him feel - quietly proud and audibly frustrated. The move by Wilde to Far-End had freed up his need to scrounge for a replacement for Tuske, the arrival of Paen had saved him needing to rotate Hopps around the other officers while waiting for a more permanent partner, and now he would have to change up the schedule to accommodate this plan by Clawhauser to reel in the teaching style of Hopps and educate Paen. On top of all of that he had mounting paperwork related to the issues of Zootopian-First Front and their counter protesters, things were getting tense in the city, and there was no indication that this issue was going to blow over anytime soon.

 _One day at a time old boy. One day at a time_. He told himself as he rose from his desk and headed to the bullpen with his material for the daily briefing.

* * *

"...Downtown: Officer Paen, you'll be working with both Officers Clawhauser and Hopps. Continue with the patrol where your colleagues from Saturday left off. Clawhauser, here are the particulars. Divide into teams as per the direction of the senior officer, and remember Hopps, that's Clawhauser." She gave slight grin under Bogo's wilting gaze. He gestured his horned head at the door. "Hit the streets."

Bogo passed the Manila envelope to Clawhauser as he led Hopps and Paen to the motor pool to get their vehicle.

"I'll drive!" Judy offered. Her voice was upbeat and she was happy to be back in her element, but Ben snatched away the keys she had been reaching for and got one for a car large enough for him.

"Senior officer, Judy. Maybe when you're all grown up." He teased.

Judy huffed but tried not to look too petulant in the presence of her rookie. "Next time you're hiking it Ben."

Travis giggled at the exchange as they made their way to the squad car. "Hey Ben, any chance you come by more often. It's kinda fun to see the senior of this pair so riled."

Ben shared in the giggle and Judy gave Travis the stink-eye, but she had a little smile for him underneath the hard gaze that he caught despite the initial shock of her glare.

"Can't protect you forever little one," Ben said. "Gotta learn to deal with the boss lady yourself. Everyone strapped in?"

Ben started up the squad car and looked at the time on the dash.

 _Gotta go fast._

He took them out of the motor pool, turned in the direction of Downtown, and went at exactly the speed limit the whole way. He had to time this precisely.

 _Go be noble Ben_ , he muttered to himself.

* * *

"One for Far-End please." Nick said to the gemsbok behind the service counter. He handed over his credit card as he made the request and got the ticket, the card, and a receipt he had to sign only a few seconds later. He scratched in his name, gave a quick _thanks_ to the gemsbok and made his way down to the platform. It was a trying effort since many animals were coming up the stairs than going down. For once the use of the escalator might have actually been the safer choice since the down-escalator was scarcely in use, and when carrying two sizable bags there was little room to navigate around ascending animals. Given the impatience of some animals with the speed of the escalator they were coming up the stairs in droves and Nick, now burdened with his bags, could not make use his almost preternatural knowledge of navigating Zootopian crowds to get around them. Too much gear.

He did not need to rush though. The train would not leave for another twenty minutes and he had already had enough breakfast that he was not concerned about needing to grab any last minutes snacks on the platform. Once a break occurred in the upwards stampede, Nick went for it and made his way down the stairs to the platforms below. A little distance on and he found the platform for the train to Far-End and settled in to wait. He took the time to start glancing around and watching the animals around him to see if there was anything suspicious. Most of the officers back at the ZPD would be more interested in the animals coming into the city because they might have some intentions towards violence or disruption. Over the course of his life Nick had learned that the city itself had a number of shady individuals and issues that it was more likely that an animal already in the city, who had committed some crime, would be trying to find their way out.

 _Always forgetting to look the other way_ , Nick thought to himself. He had tried to share that wisdom with other officers, and a few like Christopher Sharp and even Ben Clawhauser seemed to pay attention. Fangmeyer and Delgato seemed to have taken it upon themselves to look for this as well. He remembered being here with them roughly a month back and both of them had actually taken to Nick's ideas and managed to find two animals that were guilty of stealing from a convenience store several city blocks away. They had eluded the officers in pursuit, but when they came to the station Nick sensed something off about them, and Fangmeyer and Delgato had caught wind of it too. The arrest had been fairly easy, the perpetrators were two peccaries. They were winded from running, they were scared of the two large cats, and Nick had managed to trip both of them up and got them pinned to the ground when they ran.

 _I guess I will miss some things here_ , Nick realized and then began to think of Judy. He reached for his phone but stopped himself.

 _She's already on patrol. You can call her tonight_. He talked himself down and withdrew his paw from his pocket. He straightened himself and waited for the train.

* * *

"Judy, I'm really sorry you weren't there for Nick's send-off the other night, it was a real blow out. We missed you."

"Yeah I had a great time," Travis corroborated. "Is Officer Wilde going to come back soon. He was really great to have on patrol."

"I'm sure he'll find his way back soon," Judy replied flatly. "Sorry Ben I felt I needed to go see my parents."

"Everything all right at home?" Travis asked.

Judy almost shot back that all was fine, but stopped herself. Travis was a young kit who had no idea what was going on and he did not deserve to be shouted at when he was asking an honest question and trying to be helpful.

"Yeah, yeah everyone at home is fine Travis, I just haven't seen them in a few weeks and I felt a day of R and R was what I needed."

Ben was not convinced, but he kept quiet as he moved into position. His plan had worked so far, now to make the final push.

The squad car stopped on the north end of Troop Street. He stopped the car and turned back to look at Travis.

"Hey Travis, how about you get started on the east side of the street. Judy and I will take the west side."

"Okay," Travis replied and hopped out of the cruiser. Once the small officer had crossed the street and gotten to the first shop on the corner, Ben rolled down the window.

"Hey Travis, you get started. Judy just got a call, she's gotta take care of something. Be back in a minute."

"Wait, I..." but Travis got no further before Ben put pedal to the metal and drove down the street. Travis began to wonder for a minute if he had been setup, but decided he should just keep going with the patrol. It would not do to be found that he had been lazy when they got back.

"They'll be back... I hope."

* * *

Judy was shocked. "Ben what are you doing. I didn't have anything just now."

Ben looked at the time again. "You most certainly do and we cannot be late."

"Ben, you're scaring me a little. What's going on?"

"I'm sorry I have to intervene this much Judy, but someone has to."

"In what, Ben make sense!"

"Just listen, because you need to hear this. You know one of the things I learned from my years at the front desk in the precinct?" He left the question hanging, but Judy could tell clearly that it was meant rhetorically. She waited and he soon began speaking again.

"A lot of animals assigned to work together aren't meant to be anything more than work partners. I've seen cops that are respectful to each other, and work well together, but I can tell that off-duty they have nothing going on with each other. And I've seen cops that buddy up well enough while on the job, and then lose touch if they switch shifts or get sent to new precincts. Those relationships, they only go as far as the door and as deep as the uniform, and that's fine we can only interact with so many of our fellows in blue. But I'll tell you this too. I've seen a few partnered cops in my time that are freakin' inseparable. They work well together, they buddy up when not at work, and you can see it in how they interact: the work partnership, it's an extension of a partnership they share in life. I could count on one paw how many of those I've ever seen, and of those few, you and Nick are by far the tightest and the strongest."

Judy looked away, feeling despondent. Ben continued to hammer away.

"And when a partnership like that starts breaking apart, the only thing worse is the thought that those two partners lose sight of how great a partnership they have in _real life_."

Judy shifted in her seat, and Ben delivered his coup de grace.

"And now I have to work alongside one of them after that separation, and I will not stand for seeing things play out like this."

She sighed. "Ben stop the car and take us back to Travis."

"Judy this about Travis too. And Nick. _And you_! You have to deal with this."

"Ben what are you expecting me to do?"

"I'm expecting you to make things right before it's too late. I'm expecting you be the bigger animal here and fix what you can so that time can fix the rest of it."

Judy could scarcely believe what was happening. By rights one of her fellow officers was abducting her. He had an altruistic rationale, and it was Ben for-crying-out-loud, he was not danger to her. Still, this was getting to be a little much. Ben noticed her discomfort and continued talking.

"I mean that about Travis. He may not see how upset you are about Nick now, but you know he's going to start to notice something soon, and how is that going to affect him in the partnership with you? Can you even imagine what that will be like? He'll have to work with an amazing cop after so many stories about her kicking tail with another officer who is way beyond him. He'll have to know he won't be able to measure up to the kind of partnership she's used to. Travis talked to me that night of Nick's send off..."

Judy put her head in her hands.

"Judy listen it's important. He told me that he knew from day one that he was never going to measure up to the partner you had before him. And I didn't tell him he was wrong to think that, but I let him know that it wasn't because Nick was a better cop, or because he's already been at your side under fire and in the thick of things. I told him that Nick was as much your partner off-duty as on, and it made all the difference in how good of a team you guys were. And Travis told me he can live with that fact. He's sure, and I'm sure, you guys 'll work well together fine and you'll teach him a lot, but this is the start of his career and you need to be there for him. Right here at the start he's going to need you more than he'll need almost anyone else."

Judy pursed her lips and felt herself welling up. Ben was right. Travis was brand new to this life and would need help. As his partner, she had to provide support and get him ready for this life. Being upset about the situation with Nick, though justified for herself, was unfair to her new partner.

"Ben... it's not..."

"Judy, do you see what I'm getting at? I told you, Travis is okay knowing he can't replace Nick. But you can't let him think that he's the reason that things got bad. And he's the one who's going to be sitting in the squad car next to you where Nick used to be. He's going to be helping you chase down suspects instead of his other hero Officer Wilde, he doesn't need to deal with doubts about what he's caused in your guys's relationship. And me - I don't want is to sit here with you and watch what you and Nick have between each other fall apart. I know I'm not the one causing a rift, but if I do nothing to help... well then I don't know what motivates me to wear this uniform if I don't work to find a way to help."

He let Judy sit with that for a moment as he neared his destination. He had to wrap things up so she would be in the right mindset to do what came next. For that, Ben knew he could add nothing but had to trust in his friends.

"You know, the other night Nick acted like his cool self, and he was probably a little bummed about leaving, but more so he looked upset that you weren't there."

Judy took a shuddering breath. "Maybe he… was just feeling nostalgic about his time at the precinct. I'm sure he wasn't…"

"He was actively scanning the room with his head tilted _down_. And that _after_ he talked to Travis. After him, you're the only one in the precinct shorter than Nick. I think that narrows the list of who he was looking for, don't you?"

Judy sighed heavily and put her head in her paws.

"Ben, I don't doubt what you say, but look at the facts: he left, he didn't tell me about the job because he didn't trust me, and he never wanted to be my partner in the first place. I don't blame him for it, but I don't know that I can face him."

 _Now or never Ben! Now or never!_ The clock was nearly at the deadline.

"Judy," Ben replied. "He became a cop because he wanted to belong somewhere, but he also wanted to help you succeed and be close to you because you two are friends. I know it, believe me. There are other factors in his situation that make direct partnering up difficult for him, and I can understand why he wants this job and why he took it, but that doesn't mean he didn't want to work with you. I know what I've been seeing. That fox would jump in front of a stampede for you."

Judy wiped her face, she had not shed any tears, but they had started to cloud her vision. Ben continued.

"You _should_ be upset that he didn't tell you about the job, that was wrong of him, but he didn't think you'd be supportive and I can sort of see why he'd think it. You don't like it when things change in ways you didn't plan on, and you fight hard to keep what you want the way you want it, even when it's someone else's personal choice. It's cool how scrappy you can be, but it makes others reluctant to share things with you when they think you won't like what you hear."

Judy's ears drooped even more. The word 'steamroller' popped in her mind again from her last face-to-face talk with Nick.

Ben, was not finished.

"But that isn't what's important right now. You need to think about priorities, like being a good partner to Travis, and keeping yourself together. The first step to accomplishing both of those things: keep the friendship alive. It isn't too late."

Ben stopped the cruiser and gestured out Judy's window with his head. Judy turned and her eyes went wide. Without her realizing it, Ben had driven her to Savanna Central Station. She looked back at him trepidatiously and before she could muster a question to ask, Ben spoke again.

"He's _leaving_ , as in present tense… as in not yet gone… as in you can get in there and see him one more time before he goes… as in _GET OUT OF THE CAR AND FIX IT_!"

Judy looked at the station, back at Ben, and then undid her seatbelt and grabbed her personal pack from the floor. She looked at him with uncertainty and Ben finally groaned and reached past her to open the door.

"I'll tell Bogo you had a family emergency, I can take of myself and Travis for one day, now _get going!_ "

It was only another second before she gave Ben a quick peck on the cheek and took off running. Almost like lightning she seemed to get to an open kiosk, put down money, grab a ticket and race for the inner entrance. Ben shook his head with a bit of a smile. He closed the door and started driving, hoping that Bogo would not tear off both his head (or Judy's) for this infraction.

 _It's all on them now Clawhauser. You did all you could_. He said as he started heading back to Troop Street.

* * *

 _Last call for Far-End. All ticketed passengers please make your way to the train at this time._

Nick had waited on the platform just as Ben had warned him to. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to have transpired and it was now down to the last minute. Nick decided it was time and hoisted one pack over his shoulder, popped the wheels on the other and started walking towards the train doors.

 _Nick_ … the sound came like an echo and for a moment, Nick was not certain whether he had heard the sound, or imagined it. That had happened before. Instinct forced him to look around for anything unusual, but nothing threatening or attention-grabbing seemed to be in view, so he went back to walking onto the train. He had just cleared the gap and was inside the doors when he heard a loud sound tear the air.

"NICK!"

Nick spun around and saw a streak of grey fur and police blue fly right at him faster than he could dodge. The collision sent him sprawling onto the floor inside of the train and he winced at the impact, shutting his eyes from the jarring bounce that left a harsh ringing in his ears.

When the ringing began to quiet he could hear mild breathing mixed with a hint of sobbing. As soon as he opened his eyes he found a great deal of grey fluff in his field of view and he began to register a tight grip on his neck. He quickly determined who it was and pushed himself upright and off the deck with the rabbit still holding tightly to his neck and shoulders.

"Judy!" he exclaimed with a rasp; she was holding him around his neck after all. "Judy, what… what are you doing here?"

She didn't speak.

"Hey there, hey. It's okay." He offered as a verbal consolation and gently stroked her back with one paw, feeling her chest expand and contract. As he sat there, trying to comfort his friend and wondering just why she was there, the ticket taker came by.

"Something wrong here?" she asked.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Nick replied.

"Do you know this individual?"

"Yes we… we're workmates, she's my friend…" the doors slid shut and the train began slowly easing away from the platform. "…and I guess she and I are both headed for Far End."

"Do you two have tickets?"

Nick extended his paw and handed her his ticket. He then noticed the feeling of a hard edge against the back of his head, something as thin as a ticket stub. He reached back, took it from Judy's paw and handed it to the conductor. Judy had stopped sobbing, but her grip had only grown tighter and Nick was beginning to wonder if she intended to strangle him.

After both tickets were clipped, the taker offered to help Nick with the bags. He thanked the kind wildebeest and awkwardly got off the deck of the train with Judy still holding tightly to his neck. Her feet wrapped around him. A few more minutes found Nick and Judy in two seats by the windows as the train made its way out of the station. Judy still had not said a word or released her grip on Nick, and though he desperately wanted some answers, he opted to just stroke her back and wait to see how she intended to proceed. A few minutes more and Judy loosened her grip before letting go and sitting in the adjacent chair, looking Nick in the face. Her eyes were streaked with tears, her nose was puffy and her ears were drooping. She looked miserable and Nick felt awful thinking that he was probably the cause of this.

All of the other tensions between them seemed to dissolve now that they sat face-to-face. Nick started to speak.

"Judy…"

"I'm sorry." She interrupted him. Nick was about to follow up and say something in reply, but she got in before he could utter a sound.

"You were right. I wouldn't have been supportive of you going. I would have fought tooth and claw to convince you to stay. I would've said we had emergencies to deal with, cases to finish… I want to say I'd never create a case and waste department resources, but with you I might have dared. Because that's what I want. I want you here. I want you with me every day. I want to face every challenge knowing I have my best friend with me… but that's selfish, and if you want something as badly as you seem to want this, then I shouldn't try to stop you or hold you back…"

"My best friend," and here Nick grabbed her paw and squeezed until it almost hurt her. "Is the one who would do what you did. Call me out when I did something without regard for her, and let me know that I was being a jerk when I was. Going to this new job may be my choice, but I should have told you, it was wrong of me not to, and I'm sorry I didn't."

Judy gripped back and stood in her chair to look him in the eyes.

"Nick, I just got a lecture from Ben about needing to salvage our situation for more than just us. And he told me what he sees in us. He said that our partnership goes beyond our uniforms or the precinct; that it's an extension of who we are to each other in real life… and I thought that summed us up beautifully; and I think it explains why I'm so scared about this next phase. You're not just my partner at work, you're my partner in _everything_ in this city. And the thought that you won't be with me is terrifying. I have my courage, I have my confidence, and I can face what comes my way; I always have. But when I face all that I have to, knowing you're there to help me… it makes me feel that much stronger, and I'm afraid of what happens when I'm not as strong."

Nick looked at her like she had grown another head.

"Judy, you graduated top of your class at the Academy, you uncovered a major injustice from City Hall inside of a _week_ on the force, you solved your first major case by your own chutzpah, and to top it off you outwitted a wily fox that kept clean and steered clear of officers like you for nearly two decades. You're the _definition_ of strong. When I was at the Academy and I had to slog my way through the mud, face down guys ten times my size, and outperform my classmates in academic tests and physical endurance, my rule was to think of what _you_ would do and how you would face those problems. You once said I'd make a good cop, and I say that if I ever do make a good cop it'll only be because I learned from the best. You can handle this job without me. And you'll be a great mentor to Travis. I have every confidence in that."

She smiled to hear him speak so well of her and her abilities, but she teared a little bit at the 'without' statement.

"…and the moment you need me for anything: work, life, a helping paw, or a shoulder to lean on, you can call me and I'll be there. You said this partnership extends beyond the precinct and beyond the uniform; and I agree. And since it goes beyond those trappings, that means you can count on me for anything."

Judy launched herself into him again as the tears began forming in her eyes and she squeezed so hard that Nick felt his head throb and his eyes start to bulge. The instinct to pry Judy off of his windpipe was strong, but Nick fought his instinct in order to hold this embrace with his friend. When she let go and allowed him to breathe again, she remained standing in her seat and looked into his eyes with her paws on his shoulders. In this position, for once, she was tilting her head down to look him in the eye.

"Nick… for what it's worth coming from another rookie, you're a fantastic officer. You say you need to prove yourself, and I respect that better than anyone. When I had to do the same thing I didn't have to face prejudice from other rabbits like you have to with other foxes. But I want you to know that you proved yourself to me and earned my respect a very long time ago. What you're doing now, what you have to do, I know you can do it. So whenever you're down or you feel it gets hard, I want you to know that _I_ believe in you. And you proved everything great about yourself to me many times over. You already have one small victory, no matter what else happens."

He grinned at that. She was one animal, and yes a rookie cop like him, but on the scale of individual opinions, hers was the most important to him.

They spent the remainder of the ride to the Far End talking and discussing what would happen next. Nick promised that he would give Judy a call every morning to say hi and wish her well, and she made him promise to take her call at night when she would tell him about her day. Judy teared up once or twice at the thought of him not being there for birthdays, the anniversaries of their biggest cases and busts, or Saturday afternoons when they would usually go and hang out together. He told her he would make an extra long call for the big days in their shared history, but he also made her promise to come up with a few new traditions with the other members of the precinct, and not allow the preservation of their friendship to stop her from developing new ones.

She promised, but only after making sure he promised to keep working with her on their online degree programs. She wanted to work on economics next, and while she and Nick were both comparably skilled at math, she needed to pick Nick's brain for his understanding of the flow of capital. His knowledge of markets for goods - and contraband - from his years of 'self-employment' would be very useful for this subject. Nick was just relieved she did not want to do cyber-forensics while he was far removed from the majority of civilized places that would make use of such methods for crime.

Finally, as the sun reached its zenith, the train screeched to a halt in a wooded glade and the conductor announced the last stop: Far-End.

Collecting Nick's bags, the two of them alighted from the train and made their along the platform. Judy stopped briefly in a female bathroom to change out of her uniform and into the civies she kept in her personal bag. She came out in more casual clothes and fell into place beside Nick, carting one of his bags.

Disembarking from the platform, the two friends marched up the road to one of the streets just off the main road (which only hosted a handful of shops and restaurants). The streets were minimally populated, and mostly included various deer, squirrels and other small, ground-dwelling animals descended from forest species. Nick and Judy blended in fairly well in this environment, though it seemed odd for them both to be in the more urban area and see so few individuals who were antelope, gazelle, or other animals of African stock.

Nick led her up the road towards the Glade station and brought them to stand in front of a small house a little ways from the building. This was the bunk house where he would be staying. He produced a key and unlocked the door. Judy set his case on the floor just inside and looked around. Mostly bunk beds, a few desks, a small kitchenette, and water closet. She started opening cupboards and asking for his utensils and other personal kitchen items so she could start putting it away.

When she saw him looking at her with a raised eyebrow she realized that this was not her business. It was a temporary stay, not his long-term apartment, and if it was his apartment, he should be allowed to organize it his way. She voiced this realization and apologized. He in turn smiled and thanked her for helping, then proceeded to hand her what she asked for. He had grown accustomed to a number of her systems and methods of operation. If she wanted to organize his place, he was fine with it. They decided to add just a couple of his things to the regular assortment of supplies so that he would feel a little at home until he could find a new place in town.

* * *

When most of his personal effects were where they should be, Nick glanced at the clock in the kitchen and realized it was afternoon already and he should be helping Judy get a back to the station so she could get a ride back to the city. She told him that there was still time enough and that they could go and see the officers at the station before going to get something to eat.

"Do you think there's enough time?" she asked.

"I guess we have some time, though not a lot. Why do you want to go to the station?"

"I want to see who you're working with. Even if just for a few minutes I want to say hi and tell them something important. If there's time then come on, let's go."

She took off running, and Nick knew better than to argue with her further. He followed and they reached the door of the Glade Station a moment later. Grizz and Marten were both up front, but Bambini and Boggs were nowhere in sight.

"Hey Nick, I thought you weren't starting until tomorrow." Grizz said to the entering fox.

"I'm not, but my friend wanted to see the station just before she had to catch the train." Nick replied as he gestured towards the rabbit at his side.

"Hello," said Marten. "Glad to meet a friend of Nick's."

"Likewise." Judy said as she extended a paw to Marten and then Grizz.

"I just wanted to meet you both in the fur. I'm sure I'll see more of you while Nick is here." She looked over at Nick sweetly and then turned back to the animals who would be his new workmates. "And I wanted to let you know you're getting one of the best officers in all of Zootopia. Treat him well, cause he's amazing."

Grizz nodded and grinned. "Well we're counting on it. The chief doesn't suffer sub-par work here."

"So are you going to use him as a detective? You know he's very clever."

"We are in need of someone to organize our investigations. If he can do that it would help us a lot." Marten acknowledged.

"Mostly we all just do what needs doing here." Grizz replied.

"I'd like to know more. If you aren't too busy." Judy pressed.

Marten and Grizz, and even Nick, shared a look and gave tacit nods to one another.

"Sure Miss..." Marten began.

"Hopps." Judy replied.

"Officer Hopps." Nick corrected. "She's been my partner in Zootopia for over a year."

"Oh, well Officer Hopps, come along I'll show you how it all fits together." Marten offered, and Judy followed.

For roughly half and hour, Judy followed Marten and at times Grizz, who showed her all of the work space and explained how they planned for Nick to fit into the whole scheme. The two of them were nice, though a little rushed in their explanations, but Judy assumed that they were in fact very busy and too polite to tell her so. She listened and followed the story.

While this impromptu tour took place, Nick kept glancing at the clock, concerned that Judy would not make her train. When felt enough time had elapsed he patted her arm and gestured his head towards the door.

"We should go Carrots. Can't miss your train."

Judy looked at the clock herself and realized he was right. She thanked Grizz and Marten for the tour and promised to come by again to talk with them some more. Then she and Nick left by the front door and took off running for the town.

* * *

Down at the train station, they stopped to grab a bite of something from the only vendor on the platform and sat eating and sipping a shared drink as they waited. There was precious little time until the train left, and they could not afford to eat and talk at the same time, so they decided to eat and occasionally look at each other with a friendly glance.

Once they had cleared away their food the whistle came as the last call for animals taking the last train back to Zootopia. Judy and Nick came up on the station walkway. Both turned to face one another and Nick smiled with that knowing, cunning, hooded-eye smile, but the corners of his lips began to droop and his brow gave him a sad look to think that he was now truly going to tell her goodbye. Judy felt herself growing sad all over again to see those features on his face.

"Oh Nick."

She jumped into his arms and held him close. She did not cry, but she struggled to assure herself that letting him go was the right thing. Almost without thinking she planted a firm kiss on his cheek. Nick felt a reflexive spike in adrenaline and an increase in his heart rate, but instead of making any obvious response he just held her for another instant and squeezed her close to him. He set her down and she walked toward the doors. Judy turned and waived as they slid shut, then walked along the aisle of the train to stay in place as it pulled away from the station.

* * *

Nick waved at the train as it pulled away and felt an amazing sense of relief. The relief was not in seeing Judy go, but in feeling that he had been unburdened of something that had lingered in the back of his mind for the whole time he had known her. It seemed rather extreme to be thinking on something from so long in the past, but there it was and he had to acknowledge it - and let it go. Nick recalled those first few days at the start of Judy's job when she had approached him with fox-repellent in her belt, called him 'articulate' in a condescending attempt to be nice, blackmailed him, saved his life, and then torn into his heart when she stepped away from him and reached for that tube of fox repellent in a moment of fear. Though he had put a lot of it behind him when she came to ask for his help, he never completely let it go… until this moment.

She believed in him, she trusted him, and she respected this decision. She had paid lip-service to the idea of trusting him, even of having a certain fondness for him, but now she finally sold him on all of those statements. His workaholic, job-centric friend had left her job in the middle of a task to follow him this far, gave him hugs in friendship and then as a goodbye, and by all accounts had demonstrated just how much she respected his wishes to take on this job that would help him in his own career plans. That she had carried his pack and helped get him settled in his new place, and then taken the time to say hello to the animals he would work with, had been the crowning moment of the day.

He had nothing left in him now but the fondest feelings for his little friend, and for the first time since he decided to become Liaison-Officer he actually wondered for a moment if this truly was the right thing, or if he should have stayed working with her in Zootopia. He soon let go of that feeling as well. He was where he should be, and he still had the best friend a fox could have. He smiled and started walking back to the bunk house up by the glade.

* * *

Judy got to the edge of the train and kept waiving as it continued to pick up speed and put more distance between them and the platform. She watched Nick until she passed through the trees and the train was practically swallowed by the forest. She found a seat and looked ahead to where the train coasted through the shadowed woods, easing comfortably into her seat and thinking over what had transpired. She and Nick had had a cathartic day as he began his new job in a far-away place. She missed him already and wanted him back with her, but she felt strangely at peace with where she and Nick were as friends; more so than she had felt in a long time.

Back when they had first met, and Nick had first hustled her and then stomped all over her dreams and hard won accomplishments, she had felt more resentment for him than she had ever felt for any other animal in her whole life. Even after his help in saving her job and solving her first major case, she had not entirely forgotten what he had said, and at times she had felt a bit angry about it. The news that he was taking a new job, and the fact that he had sprung this on her without her knowing ahead of time had caused many of those old sentiments to surface, whether she had openly acknowledged them or not.

After the things she had seen and heard today with regard to his now place, and all of the things he had said about how much he believed in her, and his promise to be there the moment he was needed, she felt she had no more reason to feel upset. All she felt for him now was love and appreciation. He was her friend, and he intended to stay her friend no matter what; and she was resolved to do no less, no matter where they were or what happened.

She felt like hugging him close one more time… if only he weren't already so far away.

"Oh dear... I hope Travis and Ben did okay without me." She said out loud. She did not relish the thought of explaining this to Bogo.

 _Well, back to Zootopia_...

* * *

 _I enjoyed exploring what gave Nick and Judy closure on this issue. They are incredibly close friends who have been a great influence on one another despite the tension of the last few months that have precipitated these tense few weeks of story. I wanted that sense of devotion and compassion to remain, and their interpretations of forgiveness in this chapter I felt resolved what the movie did not, and I will explain why._

 _From the movie:_

 _In the emotional scene where Judy comes back to Nick to ask for help on the case - and to apologize - she alone apologizes, even though Nick had some things to be sorry for as well. Also, it was Nick who gave Judy a hug and held her close while Judy just stepped into it and cried without hugging him back._

 _I think this reflects what each of them responds to, but not what each party really needed. That is why I thought all was not completely forgiven or forgotten, despite the partnership._

 _Nick is clever and sharp-tongued; words and even lies come somewhat easily to him, and he hears a lot of prejudice thrown his way, which he has mostly learned to shrug off. Few animals ever get physically confrontational with him, so when they do he notices it. Actions speak louder than words from his perspective. (Back to the movie:) When he snapped at Judy over her comments about predators during the press conference he was willing to stay and argue until she reached for the fox-spray. If you watch his expressions it is that action that spoke loudest to him. His face went from accusatory and aggressive to decidedly cold and disillusioned with her._

 _Judy is very energetic and fearless in terms of potential injury_ (think Scrappy Doo from Hanna-Barbera) _. Being small among many Zootopians, physical action is something she has to account for in a very analytical way in order to avoid being hindered by her stature or crushed by a larger animal. She is also very cerebral compared to most rabbits, so words make a bigger impact on her than actions. On the first full day at her job she got put down in a general way by her boss and other cops, and muscled aside by larger animals, but Nick putting her down in a very specific and personal way really caused her to grow despondent. Words can hurt her, and she takes them seriously. When she apologized to Nick we saw this normally stoic individual suffer painful tears and a cracking voice as she tried to say that he was right about how her behavior had hurt him._

 _All of this also goes with how Disney modeled the two personalities: Judy's strong sense of idealism (Leslie Knope) in contrast to Nick's stronger sense of realism (Han Solo). She lives with her ideals, he lives with reality._

 _The fact that each tried to salvage their friendship in the movie using the method that each, rather than the other, would respond to (Judy's speech, Nick's hug) I thought failed to address the underlying problems - which required being able to see from the other perspective: Nick needed the hug, Judy needed to hear 'sorry' and 'I forgive you'._

 _Judy putting herself in a position for Nick to try to 'savage' her when it seemed like he was infected with Nighthowler extract may have shown trust, but not necessarily respect, which is where I think the movie left off - and where the point of this story originated. Judy and Nick have learned to give one another trust, but not necessarily respect, which I wrote as being quite different in Nick's view._

 _From the story:_

 _The forgiveness that both characters ultimately find for each other is due to what each of them sees in the other's behavior, and the interpretations are just as important as the acts themselves. Answering some lingering interests I know others have about their relationship, they are working their way back to resolidify their friendship, but the good news is that at last their old wounds are closing._

 _For Judy, hearing Nick apologize for not sharing his plans with her, telling her that he has faith in her abilities, letting her know how much he values her, and promising to stay in her life as much as possible, was the best thing he could have done for her. He assuaged her feelings over the harsh things he said before taking the Liaison job, and helped to mend fences from when they first met: all by apologizing in a way that she specifically identifies with._

 _For Nick, having Judy come with him on the train, hug him to show her affection, help him move into his place, and come to the station to meet his colleagues is what gave him closure. Having her there, putting herself in a physically and emotionally vulnerable position, showing support with regard to this change and respect for it being his decision was more than what any speech could do._

 _For now the two will go their separate ways, Judy will be mentor to Travis, Nick will work towards being a detective._

 _In my next stories I will deal with taking on roles of leadership and what it means to grow into adulthood and responsibility._

 _I hope you will all keep reading._


End file.
